14:0 HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS. 



or three rods away, when he very cautiously crept 

 under cover. 



Several red squirrels interested me by their lively 

 antics. They were running on the zigzag rail fence, 

 then up and down this tree and that, then sometimes 

 passing from one tree top to another, cackling and 

 chattering and barking like little dogs. They lived in 

 the barn during the winter, and are as much at home 

 here as are the cat and dog, which are too fat and lazy 

 to catch them. When I was here last fall, it seemed 

 that there was a squirrel for each tree. They made a 

 business of throwing apples from the tall trees, on the 

 house, into the grass and walks, and sometimes on per- 

 sons' heads. They seemed to be doing it for fun, in 

 very w^antonness, as bushels which were thrown down 

 were unbitten, but the old gentleman w^ould not let the 

 boys shoot them. He said, " there was fruit enough for 

 all, and the squirrels were only helping to gather his 

 cider apples." 



Paradoxical as it may seem, when I came away from 

 the old orchard I left the flowers and singing birds, all 

 the pretty nests and frolicsome squirrels just as I found 

 them. Still, I brought them away with me, and have 

 added them to my valuable collection — a collection 

 whose preservation requires neither alcohol nor arsenic. 



