The sun., 1896-10-11
STRATEGY OF A DOC.
Fun the Squirrels Had with Count and tho
Trick by Which IHe Bent Them.

HOLDEN Me- Oct. "a half dozen red squir-
rels which loaf around the woods on Blacks
Mountain began to have some fun with Ned
Daly's pointer dog Count last week. Owing to
Counts fondness for running away DAILY
hitched him to one end Of long rope and tied
the other end to the trunk OF a crab-apple tree
which was loaded with fruit. The tree stood
alone. and for a few days Count did nothing but
whine and pull at his rope.
As the late sap poured into the apples. turn
ing them red and making them mellow and
sweet, q squirrel stroled down from the hill
side and: spying tho fruit, attempted to climb the
tree or course Count objected. and going out
to the end of his rope chased around the tree
after the squirrel until the whole line was wound
about the trunk. Then the squirrel went up cas-
lily. using the dogs back for a stepladder. When
the squirrel went home with HIS cheeks bulg-
ing out with crab apples he told his wife about
the new tree and how he had fooled tho dog that
was was set 70 guard T. She told all tho red SOUR.
Count was overwhelmed with callers. Owing
to the numbers OF visitors and to lack OF har-
they had wound Count mp. and one squirrel.
yenturne too near. had been chewed up by tho
coiied abont the tree. rec squirrels az I wei went and came
they liked, and the vexed dog. unable to con-
tain in HI. anger, howled all the e. sfterno11n;; @
down and put q large hoop about the tree, and
fastening the line 70 the hoop he gave the dog
1t was . war of canine intelligence against
rodents cunning. with the chances about even.
faster than "I ang Ss Of his but a, he
could not get beyond the end Of his rope and as
there we're we're six squirrels to one dog the contest
The first day the dog killed one squirrel and
pulled OF the tai Of second. In return one
Il had to stay until the dog was taken to the
house about sundown Count was so excited
@ ali Night in his his des ana M
woke np the household with his vindictve
yelps and howls DAILY became so interested in
the engagement that he took a day off to watch
the sport. He thinks the dog ran more than 90
miles that forenoon for the purpose OF heading
hit by Counts reaching paw and was stunned
so that the dog killed before It could get taway.
After dinner the squirrels held q council OF
war and resolved upon concentrated action
against their common enemy. Two OF tho light
est and spryest ones In the company were de-
ployed to caper about on the grass Just outside
OF Counts reach, while the others stole up tho
tree trunk. In this way they succeeded in car
afternoon. The squirrels on Blacks Mountain
another restless night dreaming Of squirrels
which he could not get.
hitehed out he glanced down to his ropes limit
and saw The. two decoy SQUIRRELS frolickin0
a9ont as If qssips h,% IN to come on and Play
wagged his tail mirthfully. and sat down with
his back against the tree trunk. 1t was evident
were any squirrels that wanted to he caught.
they must come to his place OF business. He
sat there for an hour sampling tho air with his
nose for traces Of partridge smell and inspect
ing the clouds with his great brown
eyes. Presently he began to nod, and
after bowling lazily to the fall dandelons that
spattsred the sreensward, and yawning loudly.
he coiled up and seemed to go fast to sleep. The
strategic squirrels. which had been coughing
and snickernC Just outside the dead line. on
finding that Count had gone to sleep. began to
creep up from different sides OF the tree. ap-
preaching the trunk in straight lines. Ike
spokes concentrating on the hub of wheel.
their tails above their backs. looked at the sleep
Ing dog. and coughed real loud. the way thirsty
topper does in a Maine drug store. Then they
advanced their lines and repeated the per form
ance. In this way they drew near AID were
within ak feet Of the tree trunk when the
slumberlng dog leaped upon the two nearest
him and Killed them both. Count nosed the
bodies over for a moment. gave the backb bone of
each parting crunch with his teeth, and lay
down again.
The unharmed squirrels retreated as they had
come without waiting for orders. Count is still
htched TO the apple tree, but he has not seen
far