Bannertail 



Redsquirrel. He leaped tree gaps that he 

 would not at another time have dared. 

 Yes, and he fell, too; but the ample silver 

 plume behind was there to land him softly 

 on the earth. He made a long, far, racing 

 journey, saw hills and woods that were 

 new to him. He came to a big farmhouse 

 like the one his youth had known, but 

 passed it by, and galloped to another hill- 

 side. From the top of a pine he vented 

 his wild spirits in a boisterous song — the 

 song of spring and fine weather, and the 

 song of autumn time and vigor. 



The sun was low when, feeling his ela- 

 tion gone, feeling dumb and drowsy, in- 

 deed, he climbed the homestead tree and 

 glided into the old Hawk nest to curl in 

 his usual place beside his family. 



Silvergray sniffed suspiciously; she 

 smelled his whiskers, she nibble-nibbled 

 with tongue and lips at the odd-smelling 

 specks of whitish food on his coat, and the 



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