THE SNOW-WALKERS 



nified than the gray, and oftener guilty of petty lar- 

 ceny about the barns and grain-fields. He is most 

 abundant in old barkpeelings, and low, dilapidated 

 hemlocks, from which he makes excursions to the 

 fields and orchards, spinning along the tops of the 

 fences, which afford not only convenient lines of 

 communication, but a safe retreat if danger threat- 

 ens. He loves to linger about the orchard; and, 

 sitting upright on the topmost stone in the wall, or 

 on the tallest stake in the fence, chipping up an 

 apple for the seeds, his tail conforming to the curve 

 of his back, his paws shifting and turning the apple, 

 he is a pretty sight, and his bright, pert appearance 

 atones for all the mischief he does. At home, in 

 the woods, he is the most frolicsome and loquacious. 

 The appearance of anything unusual, if, after con- 

 templating it a moment, he concludes it not dan- 

 gerous, excites his unbounded mirth and ridicule, 

 and he snickers and chatters, hardly able to contain 

 himself; now darting up the trunk of a tree and 

 squealing in derision, then hopping into position 

 on a limb and dancing to the music of his own 

 cackle, and all for your special benefit. 



There is something very human in this apparent 

 mirth and mockery of the squirrels. It seems to 

 be a sort of ironical laughter, and implies self-con- 

 scious pride and exultation in the laugher. "What 

 a ridiculous thing you are, to be sure ! " he seems to 

 say; "how clumsy and awkward, and what a poor 

 21 



