24 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



distant a stone's throw, I returned to the aspen, 

 but the woodpeckers were still away. 



The aspen grove in which these birds were work- 

 ing stood within the seclusion of a mountain forest. 

 Near by ran a brook from west to east. To the 

 south of the brook, behind the aspen grove, a spruce 

 forest covered the slope. On the north a pine woods 

 stretched away. Between the pine wood and the 

 brook was a grassy opening with a pile of boulders. 

 Through the grove and across the brook ran a wild- 

 life trail. 



Busy was the life in the woods. I had frequent 

 glimpses of wild-life folk, an occasional view of a 

 one-act play in which any number of performers 

 took lively part. Close to me at one time a weasel, 

 aggressive as a lion, killed a number of mice, and at 

 another time I saw a weasel kill a chipmunk. 

 Among the birds and small animals there were 

 comedies, courtships, feasts, fights, and frolics. 

 All took place in a bit of the wild across which a 

 primitive man could have hurled his spear. 



The unexpected often happened. The hours 

 never dragged, they were enlivened by a succession 

 of incidents and episodes. Again and again I 

 enjoyed this primeval, poetic place for hours, 

 while I sat unmoved and watchful in the scene. 

 Often I lay on a log or on the ground, or hid in the 

 bushes, or sometimes simply stood like a stump. 

 Wherever I might be, without moving I let ants 

 crawl over me and insects bite me as they would. 



