the sentinel is repeated by all the others as far as the
troop extends.

"The marmots are eaten both by Indians and white hunters. Sometimes they
are captured by pouring water into their burrows; but this method only
succeeds in early spring, when the animals awake out of their torpid
state, and the ground is still frozen hard enough to prevent the water
from filtering away. They are sometimes shot with guns; but, unless
killed upon the spot, they will escape to their burrows, and tumble in
before the hunter can lay his hands upon them."

CHAPTER XVII.

THE BLAIREAU, THE "TAWNIES," AND THE "LEOPARDS."

Perhaps Lucien would have carried his account of the marmots still
farther--for he had not told half what he knew of their habits--but he
was at that moment interrupted by the marmots themselves. Several of
them appeared at the mouths of their holes; and, after looking out and
reconnoitring for some moments, became bolder, and ran up to the tops of
their mounds, and began to scatter along the little beaten paths that
led from one to the other. In a short while as many as a dozen could be
seen moving about, jerking their tails, and at intervals uttering their
seek-seek.

Our voyageurs saw that there were two kinds of them, entirely different
in colour, size, and other respects. The larger ones were of a greyish
yellow above, with an orange tint upon the throat and belly. These were
the "tawny marmots," called sometimes "ground-squirrels," and by the
voyageurs, "siffleurs," or "whistlers."

The other species seen were the most beautiful of all the marmots. They
were very little smaller than the tawny marmots; but their tails were
larger and more slender, which rendered their appearance more graceful.
Their chief beauty, however, lay in their colours and markings. They
were striped from the nose to the rump with bands of yellow and
chocolate colour, which alternated with each other, while the chocolate
bands were themselves variegated by rows of yellow spots regularly
placed. These markings gave the animals that peculiar appearance so well
known as characterising the skin of the leopard, hence the name of these
little creatures was "leopard marmots."

It was plain from their actions that both kinds were "at home" among the
mounds, and that both had their burrows there. This was the fact, and
Norman told his companion that the two kinds are always found together,
not living in the same houses, but only as neig