284 ON THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS 
circle the pond over and over, like a whining 
merry-go-round, picked up his lantern, and pro- 
ceeded to a thorough investigation of that clump 
of briars. Quite concealed within it was a small, 
flat rock, and under this rock a natural cave, 
into which a woodchuck had burrowed. Going 
through the tangle, you could step on the rock, 
but you could not step into the hole, for it was 
covered by the overhang of the stone. Rastus 
had simply taken refuge in that hole, and perhaps 
the woodchuck scent had confused the dog. Why 
had the ’coon not stayed there? Was the wood- 
chuck still actively awake, so late in the autumn, 
and had he objected to the intruder? Or did the 
hole become so small that Rastus couldn’t get in 
as far as he wished for safety? That was un- 
likely, surely. Or had he actually watched for 
the opportunity to make a break for the pond? 
The man pondered these questions, and wished 
he had, for once, the nose of a dog so he could 
arrive at some conclusions. He whistled Wolf 
up, and showed him the hole. Wolf took a few 
digs at it, but refused to become really excited. 
He knew his particular quarry had gone toward 
