262 THE MINDS AND MANNERS 



motionless until its mother gives the signal to arise and sup. 

 Such infants may lie for long and weary hours without so much 

 as moving an ear; and the amdous mother strolls away to some 

 distance to avoid disclosing her helpless offspring. 



Now, suppose you discover and touch an elk or a deer fawn 

 while thus hiding. What will it do? Nine times out of ten it 

 will bound up as if propelled by steel springs, and go off like an 

 arrow from a bow, dashing in any direction that is open and 

 leads straight away. The horrified mother will rush into view 

 in dangerously near proximity, and I have seen a wild white- 

 tailed deer doe tear madly up and down in full view and near 

 by, to attract the danger to herself. 



Thousands of men and boys have seen a mother quail flop 

 and flutter and play wounded, to lead the dangerous boy away 

 from her brood of little quail mites, and work the ruse so daringly 

 and successfully as to save both her babies and herself. I well 

 remember my surprise and admiration when a mother quail 

 first played that trick upon me. I expected to pick her up, — 

 and forgot all about the chicks, — until they were every one 

 safely in hiding, and then Mrs. Quail gave me the laugh and 

 flew away. 



Was it strategy? Was it the result of quail thought and 

 reason? Or did it come by heredity, just like walking? To 

 deny the cold facts in the quail case is to discredit our own 

 ability to reason and be honest. 



Fear is the ruling emotion alike of the most timid creatures, 

 and also the boldest. Of course each wild animal keeps a 

 mental list of the other animals of which he is not afraid; and 

 the predatory animal also keeps a card catalogue of those 

 which he may safely attack when in need of food. 



But, with all due consideration to mighty forearm, to deadly 

 claws and stabbing fangs, there is (I thiiik) absolutely no land 

 animal that is not afraid of something. Let us progressively 

 consider a few famous species near at hand. 



The savage and merciless weasel fears the fox, the skunk. 



