se wobbled very fast indeed as it tested
the air for the scent of a possible enemy. Very alert was Peter as he
waited.

For a few minutes he heard nothing and saw nothing. Then, near the outer
edge of the thicket, he heard a great rustling of dry leaves. It must
have been this that had wakened him. For just an instant Peter was
startled, but only for an instant. His long ears told him at once that
that noise was made by some one scratching among the leaves, and he knew
that no one who did not wear feathers could scratch like that.

"Now who can that be?" thought Peter, and stole forward very softly
towards the place from which the sound came. Presently, as he peeped
between the stems of the young trees, he saw the brown leaves which
carpeted the ground fly this way and that, and in the midst of them
was an exceedingly busy person, a little smaller than Welcome Robin,
scratching away for dear life. Every now and then he picked up
something.

His head, throat, back and breast were black. Beneath he was white. His
sides were reddish-brown. His tail was black and white, and the longer
feathers of his wings were edged with white. It was Chewink the Towhee,
sometimes called Ground Robin.

Peter chuckled, but it was a noiseless chuckle. He kept perfectly still,
for it was fun to watch some one who hadn't the least idea that he was
being watched. It was quite clear that Chewink was hungry and that under
those dry leaves he was finding a good meal. His feet were made for
scratching and he certainly knew how to use them. For some time Peter
sat there watching. He had just about made up his mind that he would
make his presence known and have a bit of morning gossip when, happening
to look out beyond the edge of the little thicket, he saw something red.
It was something alive, for it was moving very slowly and cautiously
towards the place where Chewink was so busy and forgetful of everything
but his breakfast. Peter knew that there was only one person with a coat
of that color. It was Reddy Fox, and quite plainly Reddy was hoping to
catch Chewink.

For a second or two Peter was quite undecided what to do. He couldn't
warn Chewink without making his own presence known to Reddy Fox. Of
course he could sit perfectly still and let Chewink be caught, but that
was such a dreadful thought that Peter didn't consider it for more than
a second or two. He suddenly thumped the ground with his feet. It
was his danger signal which all his