The Squirrels In The Oak

My favorite boarders in the oak were the gray sqnirrels. The boys knew their hole from the woodpeckers' at a glance, for it was in the living trunk of the tree, and the red brown margin always showed where their powerful teeth had been cutting away the bark that threatened to grow in and close thein up. I have oftened wondered how the woodpeckers knew that it would iinprison them, and that they must put up with the dead liinb. As for thegrays. they were not afraid to live in the heart of the oak, and what stores of uuts, hurvested in the hickories on the bil], they did manage to "tote" up there. There must have been a peck at least when I ruthlessly chopped into the hollow with a sharp hatchet and captured a fine brood of youug ones that were soon tamed into graceful and affectiouate pets. The old father and motherwedid not want, even if we could have caught them, because they are fieroe and untamable in captivity. The abduction of their pretty children did hot seem to weigh much on their minds. They gave no sign of the poignant grief, not to be comforted, that I have seen, for instance, in bluebirds whose nest had been despoiled, but refitted their den as simgly as before and raised another family. When my squirrels went harvesting, one of them flrst held his head. in the mouth of the hole for half a minute to see if the coast was clear. Presently out be whisked and stopped again to make sure, while his mate followed. Then Mr. Squirrel gave a rasping, long drawn bark of deflance, which must have filled his lady's heart with admiration for his boldness and with apprehension lest some unwary creature should come within reacih of her lord's aueer. Tben - if you didn't betray yonrself and send both scampering in wildest fright back to the hole - after playing hide and seek for a few moments they ran in single file out to the topmost twigs of a great bongh, gained a branch of the neighboring bare walnut and, orossing to its fartber side, made a desperate flying leap into the top of a young hickory. Running half way down this, they used a succession of dogwoods and oak saplings until they had reached the grove of tall, straight hickories on the hill, an eighth of a mile from their hole in the oak. Come on them suddenly now if you would care to see fast time made over this queer course and some record breaking leaos that fairly