Chigwooltz the Frog. 8i 



Then, if you watched sharply, you would see gleam- 

 ing points of light, the eyes of Chigwooltz, stealing 

 out, with barely a ripple, to the edge of the pads. And 

 then, when some big feeding trout drove the minnows 

 or small fry close in, there would be a heavy plunge 

 from the shadow of the pads; and you would hear 

 Chigwooltz splashing if the fish were a larger one 

 than he expected. 



That is why small frogs are so deadly afraid if you 

 take them outside the fringe of lily pads. They 

 know that big hungry trout feed in from the deeps, 

 and that big frogs, savage cannibals every one, watch 

 out from the shadowy fringe of water plants. If you 

 drop a little frog there, in clear water, he will shoot 

 in as fast as his frightened legs will drive him, swim- 

 ming first on top to avoid fish, diving deep as he 

 reaches the pads to avoid his hungry relatives ; and so 

 in to shallow water and thick stems, where he can 

 dodge about and the big frogs cannot follow. 



All sorts and conditions of frogs lived in that little 

 bay. There was one inquisitive fellow, who always 

 came out of the pads and swam as near as he could 

 get whenever I appeared on the shore. Another 

 would sit in his favorite spot, under a stranded log, 

 and let me come as close as I would ; but the moment 

 I dangled the red ibis ily in front of him, he would 



