9 2 



IN WINTER. 



the dead leaves and moss, as though hotly pur- 

 sued ; aroused the squirrels, and creeping stealth- 

 ily down an oak's extended arms, a pair passed 

 by, thinking by their cunning to escape my no- 

 tice ; called forth a white-footed mouse, daintiest 

 of all our mammals, that picked its tortuous way 

 to the meadow from its bush-nest in the briers. 

 What folly to suppose there is no life about you 

 because it eludes your search ! The quickening 

 rays of the sun have keener vision than any man, 

 however gifted in woodcraft, and these to-day 

 peered directly into every creature's lair. 



I might have searched in vain for half a day, 

 yet found nothing among the trees. Even the 

 nest of the mouse in the bushes I had mistaken 

 for a cluster of thorn-pierced autumn leaves. It 

 would seem as if every creature anticipated the 

 possible visit of a Paul Pry, and was cunning 

 enough to outwit him. The greater the effort 

 made by the intruder, the less are his chances of 

 seeing much. Let him be patient. Often a mo- 

 ment or two spent leaning against a tree effects 

 more than a mile of noisy plowing through the 

 brittle, crackling leaves. The careless snapping 

 of a twig may not startle you, but it telegraphs 

 your whereabouts to creatures many a rod away. 

 How do I know this ? In this way : Not long 

 since I was watching a weasel as it tipped along 

 the rough rails of an old worm fence. It was 



