50 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Jan. 9, 1909. 
TedLching 
Buster How to Rest.—IV. 
By SAMUEL MANSFIELD STONE 
cured a fragment suitable for transportation, 
started on the return trip to the hill. The 
workers were soon reinforced, and it was not 
long until naught save the head of the grub 
remained. 
Subsequently we flushed a bevy of partridges, 
fired simultaneousl3'^ and were rewarded with a 
brace of plump birds. As we reached camp in 
the gloaming, I was surprised to see Buster 
halt at the threshold, stoop over and say 
“Kitty, Kitty,” to an object that, fortunately, I 
caught sight of on the instant. To reach for¬ 
ward, seize Buster by the slack 
of his hunting coat and yank him 
back with all the force I could 
muster was but the work of an 
instant. To his surprised and 
half-angry Interrogatory, I point¬ 
ed at his “Kitty,” now unlim¬ 
bered for action, and said, as I 
continued to back away, still 
keeping hold of the coat: “Don’t 
you know a skunk from a cat?” 
Then, with a clear range not ex¬ 
ceeding twenty feet, I took de¬ 
liberate aim and sent the con¬ 
tents of my duck barrel into the 
brute ere he had an opportunity 
to assert his fragrant prerogative. 
After a hearty dinner, in which 
partridge played no inconspicu¬ 
ous part, we lighted our pipes and, 
seated in the mellow light of a 
full moon, on the trunk of a 
fallen tree at the front of our 
camp, we talked for several 
hours. A feature of our confab 
gave me profound satisfaction, 
for though we touched upon a 
wide range of subjects, no allus¬ 
ion was made to anything that 
even had a suggestion of busi¬ 
ness about it; it was evident that 
Buster was doing well under my 
treatment. 
The two succeeding days were 
but counterparts of the second, as 
regards experience; we hunted 
and fished a little and studied the 
great and marvelous book of na¬ 
ture. In one of our peregrina¬ 
tions we encountered a hill of 
great black ants. According to 
his own statement, Buster would 
have passed this by without notice 
a week previous. Now, on the contrary, he 
not only halted, but spent fully two hours 
studying the habits of these wonderful insects. 
Going to a considerable ‘distance from the hill, 
we found a large grub under the bark of a dead 
tree. This we took to an open space, killed it 
and laid it on the ground. No ants were in 
sight, but in two or three minutes a big black 
fellow came along, evidently on a tour of inves¬ 
tigation. His course would have taken him 
several inches to one side of the grub, but on 
coming opposite he halted, raised his head, 
worked his antennae vigorously for a few sec¬ 
onds, then made a bee-line for the carcass. 
Instantly he was all excitement, running around 
and over the grub at a great rate; he then 
struck out in the direction of the hill. 
“Evidently he wasn’t very hungry, or he 
would have eaten some of the grub.” 
“Just wait a few minutes and see. Look at 
him now.” 
The ant was still in the clear space, a rod 
distant; going in a direction at right angles to 
his course was another ant. No sooner did 
our ant catch sight of the other than he 
changed his course and went up to him. For 
a fraction of a minute did the two insects stand 
facing each other, rubbing their antennae to¬ 
gether, then our ant resumed his course while 
the other, now all excitement, hastened toward 
the grub. 
“Well, if that doesn’t beat anything I ever 
dreamed of,” exclaimed Buster, his eyes show¬ 
ing the intense interest aroused by the inci¬ 
dent. “I verily believe that ant told the other 
about the grub.” 
The second ant made a careful survey of the 
forage, then it assumed a quiescent posture and 
waited. In less than five minutes a big ant 
that was undoubtedly the discoverer appeared 
on the scene, followed by a dozen companions. 
The entire company made a vigorous onslaught 
upon the carcass; each, as soon as it had se¬ 
Thus far the weather had been all that the 
most exacting could have desired, mild, hazy, 
dreamy autumnal days, with a sharp twinge 
night and morning, suggestive of coming 
frosts, but on the fifth day we awakened to find 
a change of weather; in fact, I think it was the 
change that caused us to awaken earlier than 
was our wont, half shivering with the chilliness 
that penetrated even through our 
heavy blankets. On pulling aside 
the canvas flap, we were greeted 
with a great rush of rain-laden 
wind that sent a chill to our very 
marrow. We at once realized the 
wisdom of that foresight that had 
led us to lay in a stock of dry 
fire-wood for just such a con¬ 
tingency. It was but the work 
of a few minutes to build a cheer¬ 
ful fire that crackled companion- 
ably in the extemporized fire¬ 
place at the rear of our cave- 
house. The natural flue in the 
roof served its purpose so effec¬ 
tively that there was not the 
slightest annoyance from smoke, 
while the light and genial warmth 
of the fire made the place seem 
so home-like and comfortable that 
neither of us regretted the con¬ 
ditions that kept us within doors. 
We had an abundance of food, 
including some fine birds and 
squirrels, and after breakfast was 
concluded we sat and smoked and 
talked for fully two hours. Bus¬ 
ter reviewed the experiences of 
the past few days, even touching 
upon minor items in a manner 
that assured me my extempore 
demonstrations had not been 
wasted. 
“I had no idea there was so 
much in life,” he declared; “this 
insight which I have had into 
nature as exemplified in the daily 
life and movement of her dumb 
subjects, has completely dispelled 
the half atheistic ideas which had 
gained lodgment in my mind. 
There must be a law, a power, a 
great intelligence back of all this; yes, I am 
positively convinced of the existence of a crea¬ 
tive and continually directing power, and that 
power is God.” 
Before noon the rain ceased and, after lunch 
we walked to the post-office at Middlebury 
where Buster found a letter requesting his im¬ 
mediate presence in New York, to bring about 
the consummation of the deal that absorbed 
his attention at the outset of our trip. 
“I declare, that matter had entirely gone out 
of my mind,” was Buster’s sole comment. “I 
suppose I’ll have to return, but, even so, this 
little outing has done more for me than dozens 
of longer vacations spent according to my 
former manner.” 
On our way back we engaged a man to trans¬ 
fer our traps to the Southford station on the 
IN THE PROPOSED GL.\CIER NATIONAL PARK. 
Hooking toward the Arete. Pinnacle of Mount Grinnell seen through the firs. 
