THE OPEN WINDOW 



back to behold the resourceful creature half running, 

 half leaping about the room. 



"How — " I began. 



"Ben said he could n't possibly get through that hole 

 — his head was too large — where the dish should have 

 been, but it got broken." 



I only half listened to her breathless explanation. 

 "Shut the doors," and I rushed to the fireplace to put 

 up the screen. But I need n't have taken any of these 

 precautions; that squirrel knew my room per- 

 fectly, and he knew the six-inch hole in the storm win- 

 dow where he was accustomed to go in and out, for 

 he scrambled to it at once and made his escape. Yet 

 would you believe that, once outside, he only hopped 

 about two feet away and then, squatting on the sill, 

 looked back at us with such an expression of derision 

 that it was uncanny. I could not be beaten by so tiny 

 a creature, I must bide my time. 



The trap was put out again that night and in the 

 morning the door of escape was found open and all 

 the food gone! How he must have posed before his 



127 



