Page:The Way of the Wild (1923).pdf/176

 into view. These are rare sights, but there are countless shy curious little birds who will come flying from tree to tree to inspect you. They are half afraid, yet very curious. You are a stranger in their woods and they want to know who you are and what you are doing.

Boys often call the crows about by imitating their calls. Thus they can often call dozens of these shy rogues into the tree tops above them.

The barking and scolding of the red squirrel may be imitated by placing jmur lips on the back of your hand and blowing and sucking rapidly. In this way, one can also imitate the squeak of the field-mouse.

In the winter time, there is not so much to see, but the telltale tracks that the wood folk leave in the new snow are most interesting. I have often read strange tragedies in the new snow. Stories that were just as plain to my trained eyes as though I had seen the action.

Thus the bright eyes seeking after woodcraft, soon learn to tell the two-by-two track of the squirrel, the I shaped track of the rabbit, the businesslike straightaway track