84 SQUIRRELS AND OTHER PUR-BEARERS 



when followed, let go its hold" and drop with a 

 cry of despair toward the ground. A friend of 

 mine, walking along the road early one morning, 

 saw a rat rush over the fence and cross a few 

 yards ahead of him. Pressing it close came a 

 weasel, which seized the rat before it could gain 

 the opposite wall. My friend rushed to the aid 

 of the rat with his cane. But the weasel dodged 

 his blows, and in a moment or two turned fiercely 

 upon him. My friend aimed more blows at it 

 without effect, when the weasel began leaping 

 up before him, within a few feet of his face, its 

 eyes gleaming, its teeth threatening, and dodg- 

 ing every blow aimed at it. The effect, my 

 friend says, was singularly uncanny and start- 

 ling. It was like some infuriated imp of Satan 

 dancing before him, and watching for a chance 

 to seize him by the throat or to dash into his 

 eyes. He slowly backed off, beating the air 

 with his cane. Then the weasel returned to the 

 disabled rat and attempted to drag it into the 

 wall. My friend now began to hurl stones at 

 it, but it easily dodged them. Now he was joined 

 by another passer-by, and the two opened upon 

 the weasel with stones, till finally, in dodging 

 one, it was caught by the other, and so much 

 hurt that it gave up the rat and sought shelter 

 in the wall, where it was left waiting to secure 

 its game when its enemies should have gone on. 



