A Day With the Squirrels. 



the report of George's old twelve-bore several times, before 

 I got another shot. Approaching a large walnut, I heard a 

 rustling in the leaves behind the tree. Suddenly a big fellow 

 darted from behind the tree and started up it like a gray 

 streak. This time when my gun cracked the squirrel dropped ; 

 picking him up I smoothed down the sleek fur and slipped 

 him into my pocket. As I did so a nut dropped from the tree 

 over my head, and glancing up, I saw another squirrel mak- 

 ing for a hole near the top of the same tree ; but he was out 

 of sight before I was able to cover him. I knew he had left 

 his breakfast unfinished, and would be sure to come out again 

 as soon as he thought the coast was clear, so I took a seat on 

 an old crooked butter-nut, where I had a good view of the 

 hole, and awaited developments. In a short time his squirrel- 

 ship poked his nose out of the hole, and not seeing anything 

 to frighten him, he emerged from his retreat, and leaped to 

 a limb on a nearby tree. Almost the same instant that he 

 struck the limb my gun cracked and squirrel number two was 

 added to my bag. I had learned by experience, long before, 

 not to do too much hunting when out after this kind of game 

 in the fall during the nut season. It is much better to find a 

 good location, where there are plenty of nuts, some good 

 squirrel trees, and then sit down, keep quiet, and let the 

 squirrels do the hunting. I have often gone into the woods 

 with others, and by following this plan got a fine string of 

 squirrels ; while they would tramp around all day, and at 

 night, have a very small bag to show for their hard day's 

 hunt. I saw that I was myself in a comfortable position on 

 the old butter-nut again, and was ready to give the first gray 

 a warm welcome, that might be bold enough to toss me a 

 nervous good morning. 



The sun had climbed up above the tree tops, and was 

 stealing down through the branches and scattering leaves ; 

 dodging here and there, like a child playing at hide-and-seek. 

 From where I was sitting I could look across the creek val- 



[52] 



