38 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



Most of the time her ears moved nervously about 

 as she caught sounds from this way and that. 

 When an eagle soared overhead she showed much 

 uneasiness but moved only eyes and ears. In 

 mid-afternoon she was startled by the fall of a rock 

 mass down one of the crags near by. A short time 

 after this some mountain sheep appeared on the 

 skyline above, posed, and looked quietly around. 

 From the actions of the sheep the doe evidently 

 concluded that all was well. She struggled slowly 

 to her feet, giving a low call as she rose. Soon I 

 knew that a fawn was having a warm meal. I do 

 not know where the fawn had been hidden. Real- 

 izing that the deer should not be disturbed for some 

 days I moved on to enjoy other scenes and left her 

 in possession. 



Among the actors who appeared where I next 

 watched were a bear and her two boyish cubs. A 

 peppery, curious Fremont squirrel in a tree near 

 by saw them approach. He ceased work, eyed 

 them for a time with lively curiosity then with ap- 

 parent contempt. At last he went on with his 

 work without voicing a protest until later, when the 

 cubs engaged in a playful scuffle. 



Mother bear lumbered along under the trees, 

 unaware or indifferent that the squirrel, appar- 

 ently in his own estimation one of the most fero- 

 cious animals in the wilds, might leap down upon her. 

 At one place she stopped, thrust a forepaw beneath 

 the upturned roots of a fallen tree, and, with a lift 



