A FOGGY MORNING. 



93 



intently engaged, following the trail of a ground 

 squirrel perhaps. Suddenly, as if shot, it stood 

 in a half-erect posture ; turned its head quickly 

 from one side to the other ; then rested one ear 

 on or very near the rail, as I thought ; then re- 

 assumed a semi-erect position, gave a quick, bark- 

 like cry, and disappeared. There was no mis- 

 taking the meaning of every movement. The 

 animal had heard a suspicious sound, and recog- 

 nizing it as fraught with danger, promptly sought 

 safety. 



Extremely curious myself to learn what the 

 weasel had heard, for I was sure it was the sound 

 of an approaching object, I sat perfectly still, 

 awaiting coming events. The mystery was quick- 

 ly solved ; a man drew near. In about two min- 

 utes I heard footsteps, and in two more saw the 

 man approaching. Calculating the element of 

 time in the succession of events, it appeared that 

 the weasel heard the approaching footsteps first, 

 fully one minute before I did, and about six 

 elapsed before the man reached me from the time 

 of the weasel's disappearance ; in all, some seven 

 minutes. Now, allowing twenty paces to the min- 

 ute and two and one half feet to the pace, this 

 man was considerably more than one hundred 

 yards distant. Indeed, I think he was walking 

 faster and took longer steps than I have allowed 

 in my calculation, and was really still farther away 



