THE SEVEN SLEEPERS 199 



wall seemed to be alive with them. It was probably 

 one of the rare chipmunk migrations, which, al- 

 though denied by some naturalists, actually do occur. 



Chippy usually goes to bed in late October, and 

 sleeps until late March. He takes with him a light 

 lunch of nuts and seeds, in case he may wake up and 

 be hungry during the long night. Moreover, these 

 come in very handy along about breakfast-time, for 

 when he gets up there is little to eat. Then, too, he is 

 very busy during those early spring weeks. In the 

 first place, he has to sing his spring song for hours. 

 It is a loud, rolling " Chuck-a-chuck-a-chuck, " al- 

 most like a bird-song, and Chippy is very proud of it. 

 Then, too, he has to find a suitable Miss Chipmunk 

 and persuade her to become Mrs. Chipmunk, all of 

 which takes a great deal of time. So the nuts which 

 he stores up are probably intended rather for an 

 early breakfast than a late supper. 



An Indian writer tells how the boys of his tribe 

 used to take advantage of the chipmunk's spring 

 serenade. The first warm day in March they would 

 all start out armed with bows and arrows, and at 

 the nearest chipmunk-hole one would imitate the 

 loud chirrup of the chipmunk. Instantly every 

 chipmunk within hearing would pop out of his hole 

 and join the chorus, until sometimes as many as 

 fifty would be singing at the same time, too busily to 

 dodge the blunt arrows of the boy-hunters. 



Besides his song the chipmunk has another high- 

 pitched note, and an alarm-squeal which he gives 

 as he dives into his burrow. There are two phases 



