The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-11-28

her head and shoulders into the burr0w,
began raking out, with her forepaws. all
the earth, leaves and grass which
had blocked the entrance in the fall.
With this rubbish came many living
things-hlack beetles, a hornet, and a
large green frog. all Of which had been
sleeping away the winter at the wood
chuck's door.
After she had made neat pile in
front of the burrow, and covered it up
with fresh loan from the tunnel itself,
the woodchuck had strength to go of in
search OK some food. There was very
little to get Just then. FOR the winter
had barely gone, but she found a little
patch of green clover on the sunny side
of a large rock, a tuft or two of coarse
grass near a spring, and with these,
and few mouthfuls of bark from a
nearby tree, she managed to make a
moderate breakfast. Then she re-
turned to the burrow, and stayed there
for two days. BY that time the grass
had grown considerably and the wood
chuck had less difficulty in getting a
meal. And every morning after food
became more plentiful; the clover ap-
peared in larger and thicker patches.
and gradually the wrinkles in the
grounding began to disappear.
One morning after the rodent had had
her morning meal of clover, and she
was taking a sun-bath on the mound of
earth in front of her doorway, some
small object struck the mould about six
inches in front of her face, and threw
pinch of the dirt sharply in her eyes.
She did not know what the trouble
was, and she did not stop to find out,
but pitched headfirst into the burrow
small boy. brandishing a fiobert rifle
a small boy, brandishing fiobert rifle
and followed by little yellow dog,
jumped from behind a hillock, and ran
UP to see how near he had come to the
chuck. He pulled a grimace when he
saw where his bullet pitted the earth,
reloaded his weapon and went back to
his hiding-plaee. But the woodchuck,
not being quite fool, remained where
she was safe until the boy became tired
of waiting and came back to the hole,
the yellow dog still at his heels. The
boy now picked. up the dog and put its
nose to the mouth of the burrow, and
after few words of encouragement the
cur, which had more assurance than
wisdom, plunged into the black hole.
earth and yelled "Sic 'enl, Prince" and
for about minute no doubt Prince was
doing as he was bid. After that, it
seems that the woodchuck did most of
the "sicking," for the dog backed out of
the burrow with terrible cuts on his
head, and bowling in most unprincely
manner. Then. tuckling his tail as far
between his legs as he could get it, he
made Cor home by a short cut, and at
his very best pace.
Not long after, the woodchuck ap-
peared at the mouth of the burrow with
a family of five little ones. They had
been born some time before, but this
was their first appearance in the open.
They were pretty, dark-eyed, soft-coat-
ed little fellows, ready to topple back
again out Of sight at a sign from their
mother. Everyu morning now, the
whole family might have been seem
moving through the grass to the spots
where the clover grew the thickest.
For short time they lived in peace,
but one evening they made themselves
powerful, enemy, by journeying into
the next field and eating off, close to the
ground, three long rows of young peas.
The owner Of the peas said very little,
but he drove tostowr and brought back
stick of dynamite, which he thrust far
into the brrrow.l A minute later there
was a mutfied boom, and the farmer
went off, satisfied that he would not