Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-01-21
A Smart Squirrel.

tripping" toot!
A Smart Squirrel
Mr.. N. P. Willis tells squirrel story in
the last Home Journal. He and two edlto-
rial guests, it seems, were enjoying an au-
tumn ramble in the woods, when in the
midst of their walking and talking appeared
the hero of the following narrative, seating
himself net far away '.in his anto-e easy-chair
of a tail:'
"Hkether frightened at the hreliness OF
eur f.isEd's well-kuown powers of descrip-
ton, or at the light French accent that
still fingers =. ksii%-EaHderfui 1Gsncy Of En-
glsh, the squirrel at the first rush Ofempha-
SIS in the Baron's tale, started from his
Down went those enviable limbs, tina,
serve alike the purposes Of legs or arms,
and away he scudded up the bank. But the
bank was steep, and the gestlcuiating arms
OF the tall foreigner looked formidably pre-
hensile. There was bu. one alternative
the bridge across the chasIn. But alas. with
his loss of confidence, the little corn mon
gers usual foresight had forsaken him. He
did not lock ahead far enough to see
that. instead of taking him to the safe side
OF the glen, that narrow bridge ended in the
very centre OF ''iarge town in Cappado-
cia.-'% Dana was asiride of the far end OF
tina. single plank, his formidable lap present.
ing a tOli-gate that there was 10 manner OF
getting round. Tw0-thirds across before he
discovered this, the fugitive turned 10 60
back. But with the quickness of a practiced
sportsman, De Trobrand had closed up the
retreat Stopping in his story at the sight
of the squirrels blunder. he sprang to the
bridge, dropped his Partisan boots on either
side Of the plank, and there sat the two-a
Parenthesis Of editors enclosing very rea-
sonably frightened topic of discussion!
land now comes a phenomenon of nat
ural history, to which beg to caIl :he at
tention OF Prof. Agassiz.l
"After running backward and forward, in
terrified perplexity, for two or three minutes
the little victim came to a stand still and
proceeded cody to reason upon it. he look
ed first at one side, and then at the other.
The two ends OF the plank were laid on the
ledges Of the two opposite banks, and, by
Jumping across the harricade of the Tribune
or one side, or that Of the Courier deS Eats
UaiS on the other, he might at least land on
a rocky precipce, with the danger only Of
slipping off as he should alight, and SO fall
ing into the torrent below.
''And this he decided to do; bat observe
the almost human reason shown in mis- two
or three subsequent exPedients
"Iiis ;wU caeek- touches [lie was ground
squirrel, you understand one of the tamias
lgstsri. with pockets in his faee) were swnl-i
len to their utmost distension with his
mornings pickup Of Provender. With a.
knowing Attenuation % his sharp eyes from
one desperate outlet to the other, ne evident
ly made up his mind that it would be easier
to overleap the frencEgnan than the Yam
kee; but he came 10 the conclusion also, al
ter carefully measuring the jump, that he
could not do it and carry weight. He quiet
" disgorged, therefore, upon the centre of
the plank, eight or tea kernels Of corn, and,
thus ligh'ened, ran to the edge. But here a
new thought occurred to him.
"You reccoIlect the long hicSory sapling
which serves as balustrade to that other
wise gidIy bridge over the torrent. Up one
of the pine ceats which support the slight
railing sran the squirrel, evidently seeing
that he could Jump to more advantage from
this higher point. But sitting here for a
mom5ni. to gather his courage and his for
ces. he belhought himself, that, with the
Jump thus made easier, he might carry more
weight; and, descending again to the bridge,
he picked up one half Of the previously di--E
gorged corn, stored it safely in his cheek
pockets, ascended again 10 the top OF the |
railing, and made the leap he had previous
ly projected. To nv great relief he alght
ed safely, and, with the wreck he had saved
from his threatened bankruptcy, he ran upI
the slauting ledge of the preciPice and dis
appeared.
"Here were certainly evidence of uncom-
mon intelligence in this little animal-his !
sudden command of co3lness in emergency,
his deliberate choice between two evils, his /
prudential iessening of hindrance. his re-
confederation of plan after new light upon |
the matter, and the final proof how wisely
he had calculated the possible savings from
over hasty assignment" and how well he !
had measured his powers for the less-des- |
perate leap. 1t is a story worthy of perusal
in Wall street, or copying iHto ThOmps0a's
Bdai Note RePOrisr.''
-Dana, large town of Cappadocia. TClossical