The Haymakers of the Snow Peaks 



r 



piece of rock itself had moved; by and by, if 

 alert to this suggestion, his eye will catch a 

 glimpse of a small creature, so near the color 

 of the stones, as to seem a part of them, and 

 then of another and another, until, if one remain 

 quiet, a score may come into sight. Gaining 

 confidence they will begin scuttling about, sit 

 up like tiny poodles, and squeak out their small 

 yet wonderfully resonant cry, with outstretched 

 necks and jerking heads like the barking of a 

 toy dog. Let the rambler make a noise or mo- 

 tion, however, and every squeaker will disappear 

 as if by magic, and every sound will cease. 



These curious animals are pikas, queer lit- 

 tle degenerate hares which the miners and hunt- 

 ers happily call " conies." They do certainly 

 resemble in habits the conies of Africa, those 

 described in proverbs as " feeble folk " which 

 " make their houses in the rocks " ; but in struc- 

 ture they are far away, and in reality are much 

 nearer relatives of the rabbits, or of the guinea- 

 pigs, whose wild brethren still dwell among the 

 pumice and lava of the Bolivian Andes. They 

 look, indeed, much like guinea-pigs, being about 

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