XV 



A LIFE OF FEAR 



A's I sat looking from my window the other 

 morning upon a red squirrel gathering nuts from 

 a small hickory, and storing them up in his den 

 in the bank, I was forcibly reminded of the 

 state of constant fear and apprehension in which 

 the wild creatures live, and I tried to picture to 

 myself what life would be to me, or to any of 

 us, hedged about by so many dangers, real or 

 imaginary. 



The squirrel would shoot up the tree, making 

 only a brown streak from the bottom to the 

 top ; would seize his nut and rush down again in 

 the most hurried manner. Half way to his den, 

 which was not over three rods distant, he would 

 rush up the trunk of another tree for a few yards 

 to make an observation. No danger being near, 

 he would dive into his den and reappear again 

 in a twinkling. 



Returning for another nut, he would mount 

 the second tree again for another observation. 

 Satisfied that the coast was clear, he would spin 



