The Story of a Graysquirrel 



left the personal touch of that Squirrel on 

 it, and would protect it in a measure from 

 being carried off by other Gray squirrels, 

 especially when food abounded. Then, 

 rushing off several hops from the place 

 where the last nut was buried, Bannertail 

 would dig deep in the ground, his full 

 arm's length, ram down the nut held in 

 his teeth; then, pushing back the earth 

 with snout and paws, would tamp that 

 down, replacing the twigs and dry leaves 

 so the nut was safely hidden. Then to 

 the next, varying the exercise by dashing, 

 not after the visiting Graysquirrels — 

 they kept their distance — but after some 

 thieving Chipmunk or those pestiferous 

 Redsquirrels who sought sometimes to 

 unearth his buried treasure. Or, he would 

 dart noisily up the tree, to chase the 

 Bluejays who were trying to rob them of 

 the nuts not yet fallen ; then back to earth 

 again, where was his family — Silver gray, 



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