114 BEYOND THE PASTURE BARS 



Chickaree snatched another slice, ran down the 

 bed of the stream, over a log, and out of sight. 

 Then I saw a gleam of white bread in the dark, 

 thick woods. I could not see chickaree, but I 

 could follow him by the gleaming white slice 

 flash-flash-flash-round-and-round-and round, up a 

 tall spruce tree, till I lost it in the tall top. 



We were wondering if he would come back for 

 another slice when, pop! he landed right in the 

 middle of that box. . 



This time he got hold of the uncut half -loaf. 



"Whew!" said he, "but this is the biggest 

 chestnut I ever saw! Quick, or some other fel- 

 low may see it ! It would kill me to share all of 

 this great-big-little nut with anybody!" And he 

 pitched upon it as if to gulp it down at a bite. 



Of course he could not swallow it. Indeed, he 

 did not mean to then and there. He meant to 

 hide it! The greedy little pig! 



Tilting the loaf up, he fixed his long teeth into 

 the top crust, and by dint of backing and pulling 

 got out of the gully and landed the loaf upon the 

 top of a flat rock. Unable to raise his load clear, 

 he got behind it to push. It was slow, hard work. 

 Becoming more and more anxious, he forgot that 

 he was on the top of a tall rock, and that 



