THE HEART OF TEE MOUNTAIN. 
15 
When he was weary I caught him and, laying 
him on my knee, stroked the nape of his neck, 
his back and sides. He soon ceased to struggle 
and sat motionless. I laid him gently on his 
back and stroked him beneath. His throat 
throbbed and his eyes blinked, but he made no 
effort to escape. Then I restored him to his 
proper position, and extended one leg after an¬ 
other. He was as pliable and nerveless as a 
rubber frog. Finally I let him alone, wonder¬ 
ing how soon he would hop away; but he showed 
a willingness to spend the day on my knee, and 
not until I placed him on the leaves did he seem 
to awaken to life and the advantages of free¬ 
dom. 
A few rods beyond, a toad hopped from me 
and I followed him to see what method of escape 
he would adopt. As soon as he saw that he was 
pursued he increased his speed and by a series 
of rapid hops reached a cavern under the arched 
root of a stump and plunged out of sight in its 
depths. Our toads, although of but a single 
species, vary in color from black to the paleness 
of a dry beech leaf. This one, living in the 
midst of pale browns and yellows, was nearly 
as light in tone as the light-footed Rana sylva - 
tica. 
The color of the dry beech leaves as they lie 
upon the ground is sometimes curiously be- 
