42 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



four lodge-pole pine cones; another, one hundred 

 and sixteen yellow pine cones; a third, two hun- 

 dred and fifty-seven spruce cones; and still an- 

 other, more than four hundred assorted pine and 

 spruce cones. Each had gathered the cones 

 that were closest to his home. During the pre- 

 ceding autumn these same squirrels had gath- 

 ered nearly the same number of cones, had 

 stored them in the same spaces as this year, 

 and had arranged them in almost the same 

 manner. As more cones were gathered each 

 year than were used I saw no way safely to 

 predict the weather from information which 

 squirrel harvests furnished. 



One afternoon George came riding up on 

 horseback. He left his pony standing and hur- 

 ried over to me faster than I was rushing to meet 

 him. He had the startling news that a big 

 ground-hog had just made a den by one corner 

 of their garden. His grandmother was certain 

 that this was a sign for a cold winter. Whenever 

 animals and birds come to live close to your 

 house a cold winter is not far off. This was 

 something new in ground-hog lore and I heard 

 it with startled interest. 



I could not just make out if there might be 

 some other reason for the ground-hog's den at 

 that place. I figured that this must be a wise 

 ground-hog. And he was. Before the summer 



