"ANGLES." 



2 59 



taliate, he swore he would come down and 

 give me a proper application of the solar 

 plexus blow. When partly down the trunk 

 he stopped and sarcastically remarked that 

 I " wouldn't fight nohow, and would either 

 run or call an officer," and going back to 

 his vantage ground changed his tactics, 

 switching into the fields of ridicule and 

 derision. The way he laughed, crooned 

 and cackled over peculiarities in my per- 

 sonal appearance would have offended an 

 individual who possessed any sensitiveness 

 in such matters. 



His levity became infectious, and I found 

 myself smiling at the numerous changes he 

 wrought on his orchestral attachment. Sud- 

 denly he stopped in the midst of a spasm 

 of coughing, gave his tail a defiant flip, and 

 disappeared. While wondering at this new 

 manifestation of my little scolder, and await- 

 ing his pleasure in the matter of new de- 

 velopments, the sound of rustling leaves 

 came again to my ears. 



This time it was not the sound of a 

 squirrel's movements, and I commenced to 

 entertain thoughts of a fox skin rug. But 

 this hope was dispelled, for coming along 

 my trail was the most unique sample of 

 " dawg " mortal eyes ever beheld. Poor, 

 scrawny, all angles and no curves from an 

 architectural point of view, brindled be- 

 yond the conception of an artist, lop- 

 eared, and so excruciatingly bow-legged 

 that the legs formed a respectable apology 

 for a circle, while aft, eccentric Nature 

 had economically concentrated the greater 

 portion of the animal's anatomy. 



Evidently this sample was short on 

 " pride of ancestry," but her appearance 

 indicated that she was long on a young 

 and numerous posterity. She stopped 

 about 30 feet from where I was sitting, 

 squatted down, cocked her head to one 

 side, raised an interrogative right-angled 

 ear on the other, and smiled. Candor com- 

 pels me to say I smiled also. This cer- 

 tainly was construed as a fair omen for her 

 prospects. She quickly advanced about 

 10 feet, accompanying her forward pro- 

 gression with a most ludicrous exhibition 

 of rear lateral motions, smiles and sniffs. 



She again halted, cocked her head on 

 one side, laboriously hoisted a great main 

 sail of an ear to an upright position, 

 dropped it slowly while she tentatively fid- 

 dled over a favorite flea pasture; then re- 

 sumed her pose, re-elevated her wind 

 catcher, and smiled again. I smiled, aud- 

 ibly this time, and said, " Angles, come 

 here." This was her opportunity, and 

 "Angles " approached, expressing her hap- 

 piness by lively shakes of her tail. 



The absence of an introduction did not 

 hinder our intercourse. Any name I ap- 



plied seemed to meet with her approbation. 

 I finally concluded to call her " Angles," 

 inasmuch as that seemed most appropriate. 

 After " Angles " had inspected my rifle and 

 clothing, she took a position at my feet, 

 looked up in my face and whined pitifully. 

 She was hungry, and luncheon, sufficient 

 for 2 at least was brought to light, and 

 spread out. All this time the half-starved, 

 expectant animal exemplifying the language 

 of " Locksley Hall " : 



" Then her cheek was pale and thinner than should 

 be for one so young, 

 And her eyes on all my motions with a mute 

 observance hung." 



Taking a goodly portion of the food, 

 I tendered Angles a morsel that would 

 have tempted a connoisseur. No sooner 

 had the article passed from my hand than 

 there was a quick snap — sharp and dis- 

 tinct as the spring of a trap — an elevation 

 of the head, a spasmodic elongation of 

 the body, a pounding of the tail on the 

 ground indicating that the first shot had 

 made a bull's-eye, and then a pair of wist- 

 ful, pleading eyes looking for another dose. 

 It was given ungrudgingly, and when the 

 repast was finished my friend had received 

 not alone the share set apart for her, but- 

 most of my own portion. For once in her 

 life, I know she had the sharp pang of hun- 

 ger laid on the shelf, and her eyes looking 

 into mine spoke her gratitude. 



I took my rifle in hand and said, " Well, 

 I must get a squirrel; we are out of meat." 

 At the word " squirrel " she was up like a 

 flash, indulged in one of her grotesque 

 dances and then gradually worked in a half 

 circle ahead of me, occasionally looking 

 back to observe my movements. We had 

 proceeded thus a short distance, when 

 Angles let out a fire of howls that surprised 

 me. She next appeared at the foot of a 

 large hickory, and I killed my first gray 

 squirrel of the day out of the upper branches. 

 When he dropped Angles brought him to 

 me and went to seek another. That after- 

 noon my guest at luncheon treed 9 gray 

 squirrels, 4 of which afforded opportunities 

 and were brought to my game pockets. 

 The remaining 5 " holed," and as I had not 

 time to wait for them remained undisturbed. 



After returning to the home of my friend 

 and procuring a most excellent supper 

 the preparations for my return were com- 

 pleted. On starting I found my hunting 

 companion had delayed her departure, and 

 she sociably accompanied me on my home- 

 ward journey for nearly a mile. Then 

 stopping near a farm house, as I passed on, 

 she barked her adieu. Thus Angles and I 

 parted; she to administer to the wants of a 

 young family; I speeding to my home. 



