The Story of a Graysquirrel 



quenching of all fires, be they of smoke 

 or love or war, that the Echo Singer 

 crawled forth in quite a different mood, 

 and Bannertail, flashing up the great 

 tree trunk, went now alone. 



To have conquered a rival is a long 

 step toward victory, but it is not yet 

 victory complete. When he swung from 

 limb to limb, ever nearer the Silvergray, 

 he was stirred with the wildest hankering 

 of love. Was she not altogether lovely ? 

 But she fled away as though she feared 

 him; and away he went pursuing. 



There is no more exquisite climbing 

 action than that of the Squirrel, and 

 these two, half a leap apart, winding, 

 wending, rippling through the high roof- 

 tree of the woods, were less like two gray 

 climbing things than some long, silvery 

 serpent, sinuating, flashing in and out in 

 undulating coils with endless grace and 

 certainty among the trees. 



[81] 



