194 ^tnuntu of tl)e ^vttu 



mother were now dead, and the six young 

 squirrels in the tree-top were orphans ; 

 but this was not all. 



Again the cruel hunter drummed on 

 the tree and one of the youngsters poked 

 out his head to see where father and 

 mother had gone. "Bang'' went the 

 gun and the youngster joined his parents 

 at the foot of the tree. 



*' What sport it is," thought the young 

 savage, and all the ferocity of the animal 

 side of his nature was aroused. He did 

 not stop to think that the squirrels were 

 useless to him when he had killed them ; 

 his thought was simply to Kill ! Kill ! 

 Kill ! " Bang ! Bang ! Bang ! " went the 

 gun, until the entire squirrel family of 

 eight members lay dead in the snow. 

 The old maple was empty and the nest in 

 the hollow tree was desolate. 



The young savage then picked up the 



