A Day in Ellington Woods. 



We reached the edge of the wood again without getting 

 another shot, but had hardly gone 100 feet along the ridge 

 when, hearing a rustle in the leaves, I turned my head just in 

 time to catch sight of a gray streak disappearing in the leafy 

 top of a big tree. J. F. and I surrounded the tree, and,, walking 

 slowly around it, peered up amongst the thickly leaved 

 branches ; but not a sign of gray could we see. We took up 

 our watch on opposite sides of the tree, standing motionless. 

 The faintest breath of an Indian summer breeze rustled the 

 leaves overhead, causing their variegated hues to shimmer in 

 the slanting rays of .the afternoon sun. 



Several times I thought I saw a moving gray spot among 

 the leaves, but closer observation would prove it to be a flicker- 

 ing leaf. My neck beginning to ache from such steady gazing 

 into the tree-top, I decided to change our plans. There was a 

 large bunch of leaves in the crotch near the top. I told J. F. 

 to fire a shot into it, and, at the report, a shower of leaves came 

 floating down on the breeze. To say that we were surprised at 

 the result would be putting it mildly, for down with the leaves 

 came four squirrels, one dead, and one wounded, while the 

 other two dashed off with both of us in pursuit. After a short 

 run they treed and continued their homeward flight among 

 the branches overhead. One of them stopped a second, to bal- 

 ance himself for a long leap, and I caught a bead on him just 

 as he gathered for the spring. He left the limb as the gun 

 cracked, and, clearing the limb eight or ten feet, dropped to 

 the ground dead. J. F. fired at the other one, which had turned 

 to run in the opposite direction, at the report of my gun. His 

 shot was unsuccessful and the cunning little gray whipped 

 around behind a tree before the second barrel could be used. 

 I picked up my last kill, and, just as I was putting it in my 

 pocket, J. F. raised his gun quickly and fired this time suc- 

 cessfully. 



We passed through this strip of wood without seeing more 

 game. At the foot of the hill, a long narrow woodland slough 



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