Evening star., 1898-10-05
CENTRAL PARKS SQUIRRELS.
"COck-Eye" Fights Cyclists If They
Neglect to Feed Him.


From the New York Herald.
Near the I'D street entrance of Central
Park, on the west side, are two shady ar
bors which are much frequented by wheel
men and wheelwomen. In the vicinity romp
and scamper three score more squirrels.
They are very tame and the cycle folk
have made great pets of them.
The customary uniform of knickerbockers,
cap and golf hose. or abbreviated skirts,
according to the sex of the cyclist, has be-
come associated in the minds of the squir
rels more or less directly with peanuts and
other delicacies which appeal most sincere
ly t. their voracious appetites. If you wear
such garb and will rap on the back of
bench in the arbor with a nut, presto, a
furry swarm comes bounding and leapiug
over your shoulders and across your lap.
clamberng up your knickerbockers or
skirts and, in fact, invest you from every
strategic point.
They stand on no ceremony. Once you
have produced a supply of good things to
eat, they sit upon their launches and fail
to like the fearful little gourmands they
are. AS long as you cater they will fulfill
their part in the gastronomic arrangement,
unless Interrupted by boisterous spectators
or frightened by children, who seldom re-
SlSt the temptation to chase them.
But there Is one among them which pos
sesses an appetite of remarkable avidity,
and which is far bolder in communicating
his needs to the cyclist than any of his
kind. He is large, old and gray, and has
but one eye, a circumstance which has
earned for him the SobriQuet of "Cock-eye''
from the freQuenters of the arbors. How
he lost the optic is a matter of conjecture,
but the theory Is this predatory rogue has
met with well-merited retribution while
endeavorinG to steal the eggs from under
a mother robin redbreast.
Unlike others of his ilk near the arbors,
"Cock-eye' needs no invitation such as ex-
pressed by the rap of nut on the back of
bench to insure his presence and gastro-
nomic works. He is usually awaiting the
coming OF cyclist in high state of i'm
patience, and having discovered that well
coEe person from his lofty eyrie, down ne
swoops precipitously to be regaied.
Now "Cock-eye," being exceeding saga
clous and shrewd observer, knows that
peanuts are kept in pockets and that pock-
cts are to be found at the sides Of Jackets.
So he does not wait for his host to pro-
duce the edible, but imDudently dives in
and secures a bountiful supply himself
Some he pouches, but he is generally too
greedy to make much of this wise proyi-
sion for the future. He prefers to sit on
the cyclists knee and eat and eat and eat
until his little sides fairly distend and ere
ate in the mind of his host the fear that
he will come to an end by spontaneously
exploding
If a cyclist is SO neglectful of "Cock-eye"
as to come to the arbor without an ample
store Of nuts, then woe betide him. Cock
eye Will explore his pockets as usual
without waiting to be asked. and finding
his search fruitless, will show his dispIeas-
ure and resentment and administer con-
dlgn punishment. He will scold and noisily
Chatter, ard then, having worked himself
into most ungovernable rage, he begins
to scratch, striking his vicious little claws
in the cyclists hands. or, if they are dis
creetly hidden. will tear his knickerbock-
ers. This rude behavior he continues until
the ire Of the luckless cyclist is reused,
and he peremptorily dismisses his assail-
ant, or until the little vagabond becomes
exhausted by the excess of his fury.
Many Wheelmen who have forgotten to
prepare a feast for .sCock-eye' hear the
scratches of his angry rebuke, and to pro-
tect themselves from additional injuries
now would as soon think of visiting the
arnor al without their clothes as they would
to neglect the propitiatory peanut.