34 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



to see was darting about in the tree-tops, and a 

 porcupine was waddling by with dull deliberation. 



The birds on the other side of the brook one after- 

 noon set up a great ado, as if some enemy were 

 about to raid them or some other terror were nigh. 

 Of them all, the most excited and pessimistic was 

 the mother robin. She flew and darted about 

 without getting anywhere, all the time predicting 

 the worst possible calamity. When things had 

 almost calmed down a broad-tailed humming-bird 

 came flying by, scolding hard, plainly much put 

 out because of all this unnecessary hullabaloo. 

 After darting about me for some seconds, with her 

 burnished body flashing and bead-like eyes shining, 

 she alighted like any bird on a neighbouring limb. 

 This midget made a comical appearance, aping, 

 as it seemed, all the poses of a real sized bird. 



Once I looked round just in time to see a coyote 

 leap forward and land upon the grass with fore- 

 paws together. Presently he thrust in his nose 

 and pulled out a mouse. At this instant he caught 

 sight of me and edged off sideways, eying me 

 intently. He was not frightened, but apparently 

 could not make out what I was or what I was doing. 

 He passed, doubled, and repassed near by. Then 

 he circled, and when he caught my scent, sniffed 

 the air but still was not alarmed. He stayed to 

 watch, like a boy in no hurry who had found 

 something new. In the edge of the opening he 

 stretched out on his stomach with his head toward 



