BABBIT TRACKS 153 



" I suppose there is some reason for that too," said 

 Rap. 



" All through with the Rabbits ? " asked Mr. Blake, 

 who had been in the baggage car. " We shall be at 

 the Ridge in a few minutes, and I think you'll find a 

 surprise waiting for you. No, I won't tell ; no use in 

 asking. 



" Did the Doctor say anything about the Little Chief 

 Hare, a sort of a cousin to Cotton Tails, who stands up, 

 puts his hands in his pockets, and whistles ? " asked 

 Mr. Blake, quickly, to divert the boys' attention. " Yes, 

 I'm not joking, for I've seen them stand up and heard 

 them whistle, though I won't be positive about the 

 pockets." 



" Do they live near here ? " asked Rap. 



" No, miles and miles away. The first one I ever 

 saw was when I was prospecting with our survey in 

 autumn, along a cliff beyond the Missouri divide. I 

 heard a queer little noise, something between a cry, a 

 squeal, and a whistle, coming from a pile of slide rock. 

 I waited a minute, and the sound came again and 

 seemed to either echo or be repeated from several 

 places. Presently out hopped or rather hobbled, for 

 they move slowly, a couple of queer little beasts not 

 eight inches long, with wavy brown and black fur, 

 small round ears, real Guinea Pig faces, and nothing 

 but a sort of bump for a tail. I said to myself, ' You 

 look something like a Gopher, but you're not ; you 

 look as if you had tried to be a Guinea Pig, but failed 

 on account of the climate. Who are you ? " 



" One of our party told me all its names, — Pika, 

 Little Chief, or Whistling Hare, and before I left that 



