144 THE ADVENTURES OF A NATURE GUIDE 



talked to him but he still appeared frightened. 

 Then I took a step toward him. He turned to 

 run, but evidently remembered the weasel, and 

 stood up to look and listen. As there were no 

 signs of his pursuer he turned for another look at 

 the chipmunks and me. 



At this instant a friendly beggar raced up and 

 took a peanut from my fingers. The stranger 

 could not believe his eyes; he rose on tip-toe to 

 watch us. He came slowly six steps toward us, 

 then at once retreated four. But as nothing hap- 

 pened he presently joined the playing chipmunks. 

 One scolded and another literally kicked him 

 over, but he hung near. I threw him a peanut. 

 He grabbed it, scampered to a near-by log and, 

 standing erect, ate it. Then he came close for 

 another. The following day he took a nut from 

 my hand. 



The chipmunks spent seven months of each year 

 underground. The other five months they hustled 

 about digging new tunnels for winter quarters, 

 gathering winter food, sometimes scolding the mag- 

 pies, and once in a while playing with the rab- 

 bits. They spent hours at a time making these 

 tunnel homes, piling the earth out on the grass. 

 Ofttimes they left their work and came hurrying 

 to see me with their faces very dirty; a chunk of 

 dry earth frequently stood up on the end of a chip- 

 munk's nose. They enjoyed a dust bath. Now 

 and then a chipmunk dusted himself so thoroughly 



