Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1899-12-14
SQUIRREL VS.. wooppEcKER.
An Interesting Account of a Woodland
Rencontre Between Them.

A well-known sportsman of Mimi
eapolis writes the following account of
an adventure in the squirrel timber
which cannot fail to interest those IA
miliar with the habits of the bushy-
tailed varmint that furnishes such fine
sport in October days.
l was sitting with my back against
a log in the deep woods one October
morning, Watching for two SQUIRRELS
that were hiding in the top of a great
walnut tree. One of the SQUIRRELS I
had shot at and missed, whereupon it
scampered up the tree in question, fol-
lowed by another one of it's kind to
the topmost branches. A patient ex-
animation of all the limbs failed to
disclose to my eyes so much as an
ear, so 1 sat down to wait until the
game moved.
A half hour passed, by which time
every knot and bunch of leaves had be-
come familiar to me. There was
very large limb that extended out from
the tree in horizontal direction for
ten feet, then bent upward gradually.
On its under side there was hole such
as gray squirrel might fancy. Pres
emily saucy woodpecker, rescuttled
the limb in search of food Instantly
my full attention was directed to it in
the hope that its actions might betray
to me the location of the two hidden
squirrels.
Down came the woodpecker after the
hating, jerky manner of its kind, but
suddenly it stopped short, then flew up
and alighted further down the limb. At
the same time there was a flash of gray
near the hole in the limb, and some
small creature disappeared within. l
had never before noticed any ruff1ing
up of the feathers on a woodpecker's
neck as an indication of anger, or
what not, but this one was either
startled or angry, for its neck feathers
resembled those of the mischievous
little camp robbers of the west. But
no matter what it's feelings were, the
woodpecker sided up to the hole and
peeked in, with it's head cooked first to
one side, then to that.
1t is customary with all good wood
peckers, like policemen, to rattle for
assistance when they believe they have
corraled bigger bargain; but this one
did nothing of the sort, as it seemed
dubious as to whether its game was
really cornered. Finally it decided to
take look inside so it 6ucked its head
and crept in very gingerly and very
slowly. A moment of silence followed,
then all at once a bunch of feathers
was literally fired out of the hole, much
after the fashion of a young mans
hurried exit from wouldn't-be father
in-law's door. 1t was the woodpecker.
1t found its wings after a headlong
tumble of several feet, perched on a
nearby branch and glared across at
the hole in the limb, seemingly unde
-eided what to do, though full of fight.
was puzzled to know what was in
that hollow limb, but the woodpecker
soon settled all doubts by flying across
to the hole with neck feathers ruff
fled up and blood in it's eye. No soon
err had it alighted than flying SPUR
rel darted out of the hole and bounced
on it. both finally alighting on lower
limb Then followed a game of hide
and seek, with the woodpecker forcing
the fight. Up and down, round and
round the limbs and back and forth
from one to the other they went.
Sometimes the flying squirrel-evi-
IDENTIFY dazed by the sunlight-would
turn and pursue it's enemy blindly,
and then the bird would hesitate,
whereupon the squirrel finally made a
dash and gained the dark interior OF
its former place of refuge.
How this interesting encounter may
have terminated it is impossible to
say. for at that moment / saw one OF
my squirrels peeping over the fork OF
another branch, and the shot fired at
it broke up the little game which l had
been fortunate enough to witness