WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 27 



his head and forefeet — each time withdrawing 

 quickly and retreating almost to the grass — he 

 finally found courage and bravely entered. Out 

 rushed a frightened field mouse. A few moments 

 later the chipmunk thrust out his head and with 

 feet on the edge of the entrance hole he looked 

 round like a young lion. The nest became his 

 winter quarters. One day a month later I saw 

 him again thrust his head from this adopted nest. 

 Tracks in the snow at the foot of the tree showed 

 that he came out occasionally. 



The following May when I called, a pair of blue- 

 birds were striking and beating at the chipmunk, 

 who was clinging to the tree trunk near the nest 

 entrance. The chipmunk finally leaped off and 

 retreated into the grove, with the birds in pur- 

 suit. Again and again I came to linger at my old 

 place. During the summer five baby bluebirds 

 were raised in this nest. After they were safely 

 brought off and taken in charge by Mr. Bluebird, 

 the mother bird again filled the nest with eggs. 



I did not make my rounds again until summer 

 was over. When I returned, the chipmunk who 

 occupied it the previous year, or a chipmunk of the 

 same species and about the same size, was in the 

 nest. More likely it was the same chipmunk, for 

 when I threw a peanut to him he made haste to 

 pick it up — a trick he had learned during my visits 

 the year previous. 



The next spring in the grove I heard a wren sing- 



