Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1904-10-06
THROUGH The FOREST
WHAT MAY BE SEEN ON 4
SUMMER DAY.
Flowers and Trees and Animals Are
Interesting to the Nature Student
How to Study Them to the
Best Advantage.

II was one Of those hot days when there
Ia no breeze stirring, and when all the
birds, save the red-eyed vireo and the
indigo bunting. are sitting silent In
the depths of the woods. The most no.
ticeable sounds were those Of the crick-
cts in the grass. the drowsy thrilling
of cicadas, and the occasional peep"
OF hyla from the foliage of the trees.
The coloring OF the wild flowers had
strong suggestion Of autumn, for the
goldenrod was at its best. and mingling
with 1t were trumpet weed. boneset.
and great masses of pearly everlasting.
All the shrubs along the roadside were
hung with garlands Of wild clematis,
and along the borders of the forest
itself even the darkest spots were
lighted by great clumps Of the white
wood asters.
AssI entered the woods, the first
living creature to catch my eye was
chipmunk, looking bright and cheerful
in spite OF the heat. He did not seem
in the least afraid, and he was MUNICH
ing briskly at some blueberries which
he had brought from distance in his
cheek pouches. What impressed me
most at the moment, perhaps, was the
spotless condition of his fur. Here
was q little animal which lived In
hole in the ground, grubbed IN the soil
every day, and which at this season
lived chiefly on berries whose juice
dyed the hands Of every man who
picks them. Yet, on that shining coat
before me, there was neither mud. nor
dust, nor stain of any kind. No race
horse, fresh from the hands Of care
full groom, has a sleeker coat than this.
And SO It Is with most wild things; 1t
seems that they might touch even pitch
without beins defiled. Watch q musk
rat, delving In the muddy bank of a
stream, and then note the brightness
of his glistening brown coat as he sits
on a stone by the water to wash his
face. mo man can work, in mud and
dirt, and keep his clothes so Clean"
Soon I struck an old forest trail,
family marked by trees blazed years
ago. The marks OF the Ratchet. once
white and prominent, were now almost
grown over with bark, or so weather.
stained as to be almost invisible ex-
cent when close at hand. The narrow
path was overgrown with ferns, but
here and there q bruised or broken
frond showed that the wild things used
it still. All around, the trees grew
close together, and the light was dim,
but now and then there was an open
space, where the sunshine filtered
through, and glorified the messy rocks
and the fungus-covered trunks Of fall
len trees.
I was crossing such an open space
when l saw, lying on a bed Of pine
needles In the shade before me, q
white-tailed deer whose warm red
coat was fecked with brighter red,
where spots of sunlight danced across
it. It was buck with well-grown
antlers still in the velvet, and he was
looking full at me with head raised
and ears straight out ON either side. /
felt that !; took another step after
he knew that his presence was
known he would dash away through
the trees, so, pretending not to see
him, sank slowly to the ground. Then,
putting my back to the trunk OF a tree,
turned my face slowly toward him.
His large dark eyes were full upon me,
and his well-shaped translucent ears
moved slightly from time to time, as
though searching the air for any sound
which might be in the nature OF a
warning. There was no wind, so the
large black nostrils were dilated In
vain, but In this case neither the nose
nor the ears were needed, for I was In
full view, and the eyes were getting all
the information there was to be had.
The beautiful creature seemed to be
satisfied that there was no immediate
danger, SO he lay still and gazed at
me long and earnestly. What his
thoughts were, who shall tell?-but
: mine were all Of him.
knew that, in less than a month,
this mild-eyed dweller Of the forest,
now resting so gently In his peaceful
tree-walled home. would be fleeing over
the country side-an outlaw with o
price upon his head. knew that ev-
ery man who saw those splendid ant
lcrs would covet them, and that the
shoulder, where now great timber mus
cles played beneath the skin, would be
the target for q score Of bullets. Per
hans he would escape them all-small
chance, but still perhaps-and live to
be pursued a.ain next year. Probably
he would be hit, and, II SO, I hoped that
n might be by a marksman, with a
bullet through the heart or lungs. when
death would quickly come to his relief.
raised my hand, and the 1.-the crea-
ture before me sprang to his feet,
snorted, stamped. and with his broad
white tain in the air., ieaped away
among the trees.
Tenporary Unions.