A Day in Ellington Woods. 



away to the east. With a sigh, I pulled out my appointment 

 book and looked over the day's page. The forenoon was all 

 booked, but I could arrange to get off for the afternoon. Turn- 

 ing to Mrs. Steele, who was standing in the door, I said : 

 "Little Partner, how would you like to spend the afternoon in 

 Ellington wood?" She replied: "J ust the thing, Will; I knew 

 what you were thinking about." 



( hi the way to lunch I met my friend, J. F., and asked 

 him if he and Mrs. T. would not like to join us. The invitation 

 was promptly accepted and 2 o'clock found four happy people 

 whirling away down the creek road behind a lively span of 

 bays. A four-mile drive on the main road brought us to a blind 

 cross-road. Turning into this we drove back into the timber 

 twenty rods and hitched the team. , The ladies had plans of 

 their own for the afternoon, and would not join us in the hunt. 

 J. F. and I filled our pockets with shells, shouldered the guns 

 and struck out for the squirrel timber. We were hardly among 

 the big trees when an animal ran pattering over the leaves and 

 up the side of a dead tree. Just as he disappeared in a hole. 

 I fired, but scored a miss. We passed through this strip of 

 woods without seeing any more signs of game, and, crawling 

 through a barbed wire fence, entered an old half-cleared corn 

 field. We had half crossed the field when a squirrel scurried 

 over the ground and up the side of a dead tree. It was a large 

 gray and we wanted him. I stayed where I was, while J. F. 

 worked cautiously in the direction of the tree. As soon 'as in 

 range, he slowly raised his gun and I was anticipating its re- 

 port, when the squirrel suddenly vanished back of the tree. 

 J. F. approached the tree and I walked to where he stood. He 

 had hardly reached a point where he could see the back of the 

 tree, when there was a quick flash of gray and the squirrel ap- 

 peared on my side. I was not quick enough ; the sly little 

 rascal observed my movement and slipped to the other side ; 

 but my companion's gun spoke and, as the echoes reverberated 

 among the painted hillsides, he picked up the first squirrel of 

 the day. 



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