The Wit of the Wild 



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In doing this they keep a sharp eye upon the 

 weather, in respect to which they seem to have 

 remarkable foreknowledge. The pikas of Rus- 

 sia, which have much the same habit, but exist 

 lower down on the mountain sides, so that they 

 are better known to the people, are called by the 

 peasants " weather wisers " and are depended 

 upon as living barometers. The same faculty 

 belongs to our " little chief," as the Northern 

 Indians call him, and he turns it to good ac- 

 count. 



Some day the barometer at your mountain 

 camp will begin falling, although otherwise no 

 sign of bad weather disturbs the serenity of the 

 heights. But you will notice a sudden excite- 

 ment and great activity on the part of your 

 squeaking little friends among the rocks. All 

 the afternoon, braving your presence with un- 

 wonted courage, they will toil at their work of 

 carrying in their provender, and, though usu- 

 ally they go to bed at sunset, to-night you will 

 hear them bleating and calling to one another 

 as they hasten their harvesting until far into 

 the night. Before morning gales and snow ami 

 *$ 256 5 



