IV 



A DIGRESSION ON SQUIRRELS 



The wildest spot in this entire neighbor- 

 hood was a deep ravine, a little to the right 

 of the church. On our occasional visits to 

 the place I wondered at the scarcity of bird- 

 homes, there were only two or three rob- 

 ins' nests to be seen, for the quiet and the 

 heavy foliage seemed so inviting, but a lit- 

 tle later I marvelled that any birds ever 

 went near this den of thieves; for that is 

 what I discovered it to be. 



One morning my attention was attracted 

 to the ravine by the pitiful cries of a robin. 

 I hurried out to investigate the case, and 

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