THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE GOOSE 509 



to know my whistle, and whenever I traders. All Western men know that 



attempted to mimic him he would send a pack-rat must barter and trade — just 



back a ringing answer. The charm- why no one has as yet given a satis- 



mg little lazuli buntings were tamer factory explanation — but the rat will 



than the irritating, dirty English spar- give you a twenty-dollar gold piece for 



rows at home. a quill toothpick, a nugget of gold for 



It was interesting to notice how the stump of a cigar, or it will take 



quickly all our little wild neighbors your watch and leave in its place the 



learned to know that the sound pro- false teeth of the man in the neighbor- 



duced by banging on a tin plate meant ing camp. What the rat must do is 



dough-god and other good things at to make a trade, and the value of the 



our camp, and as they came rustling objects is of no concern to the rat. 



among the grasses or fluttering from In the gray dawn, while sleeping in 



bush and tree they showed more fear a tent, I have often -awakened to hear 



of each other than they did of either something scamper up its steep side 



Big Pete or of me. and then laughed to see the shadow of 



My big, good-hearted companion a comical little body toboggan down 



paid little heed to the woodchucks, the canvas, but in. the park we seldom 



chipmunks, jays, magpies and siskins, slept under shelter, and our pocket 



but he viewed the tanager with rever- knives, pipes, compass and all other 



ence and awe, and solemnly told me small objects were never safe unless 



that at the time our Saviour was cruci- securely packed away out of reach of 



fied the tanagers were yellow, but one the nocturnal marauders, 



of these birds flew to the cross and, The pack-rats filled our coffee pot 



with its poor little weak beak, tried to with white pebbles, our pockets with 



extract the cruel nails which pierced sliced bacon, our shoes with nails and 



the bleeding hands of the Christ. The our hats with dead fish, and one night 



bird's effort was unsuccessful, but ever I awoke from dreaming that I was 



since then it has retained the red blood camping on a garbage heap at Barren 



stains upon its feathered forehead. Island to find a bird, which had long 



Had I told Big Pete that the ladies been dead, placed under my nose, 



of the Eastern States caused great Another time I awoke in time to catch 



numbers of these birds to be slain, that one big rat in the act of laboriously 



they might decorate their hats with the carrying away my heavy revolver ; 



tanager skins, I fear that my friend's when I shouted at him the impudent 



remarks would have been as shocking little brownie only stamped the ground 



to ears polite as the sight of the little with his front feet and scolded me. 



Christ bird crucified on a woman's bon- There was a big, black woodpecker 



net would be to Big Pete. which evidently looked upon us as late 



When the myriads of bright stars risers, and, to get us up early, it would 



would twinkle in the sky or the great hammer on the tin camp pail and make 



round-faced moon climb over the moun- a most astounding racket. It was in 



tain tops to see what was doing in the vain that we shied things at the bird, 



park, the birds and chipmunks were It would only fly away to return and 



quiet, but then the big pack rats, with repeat the performance, until at last 



squirrel-like tails, would troop out from we were forced to cover up our tins 



their secret caves and invade the camp, every night before retiring. 



{ : These creatures are strangers to most But, bless you ! These haopeninsfs 



Eastern people, but every traveler who were only funny, and to-dav I sigh for 



has had occasion to camp in the West- the rat-a-ta-pan of the old woodpecker, 



ern Mountains from Lewis and Clark's and even the mischief-loving pack-rat 



time to the present day has also had seems to me to be a most delightful 



occasion to know the little mountain creature, for associated with these ani- 



