Banner tail 



when the white flakes ceased to pile upon 

 the hills and trees, a cutting blast arose 

 that sent snow-horses riding across the 

 fields and piled them up in drifts along 

 the fences. 



It made life harder for the Squirrel-Folk 

 by hiding good Mother Earth from their 

 hungry eyes; but in one way the wind 

 served them, for it swept the snow from 

 all the limbs that served the tree-folk as 

 an over-way. 



For two days the blizzard hissed. The 

 third day it was very cold; on the fourth 

 day Bannertail peeped forth on the 

 changed white world. The wind, the 

 pest of wild life in the trees, had ceased, 

 the sky was clear, and the sun was shin- 

 ing in a weak, uncertain way. It evoked 

 no enthusiasm in the Gray coat's soul. 

 Not once did he utter his Sun-salute. He 

 was stiff and sleepy, and a little hungry as 

 he went forth. His hunger grew with the 



[52] 



