A Sportsman 5 



while the gray I found more plentiful about the trees. 

 These were more cunning in escaping observation, and 

 had a habit of rapidly disappearing around the oppo- 

 site side of the trees, where they were securely hid- 

 den from view, excepting a small portion of their 

 heads, projecting for observ'ation. As I would pro- 

 ceed around the tree I would be baffled by the alert 

 squirrels, which would slip arovmd in sequence with 

 my movements. 



It has been a mooted question if, in circling a tree 

 in this manner, one who made the circuit with a 

 squiiTel upon the opposite side of the tree would 

 actually go aroimd the squirrel while going around 

 the tree. This question I will leave open. 



I soon overcame this difficulty by throwing a con- 

 venient stone or stick of wood as far as I could to the 

 opposite side of the tree, which landing with some 

 noise would almost invariably throw the squirrel 

 momentarily off guard, when he would flash quickly 

 to my side of the tree to investigate the probably 

 new source of danger. The stay would scarcely be 

 more than half a second, but sufficient in my pre- 

 paredness to accomplish the end. 



One day I bagged four grays out of five from a 

 single hickor}" tree, which set the color vividly in 

 mind. This was equalled on a moonlight foray we 

 made with dogs for 'coons. 



One evening we secured a family of four from a 

 single tree where they had taken refuge. This hunt- 

 ing at night on horseback with dogs was a pastime 

 much in vogue in my locality, and an occasional wild- 

 cat was taken in. I had an adventure with a 'coon one 

 day which was not very pleasant. It was after a light 



