The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-02

Drusdlla was soon cracking the scaly-
barkS, and in a few moments Fit was
sitting on his hind legs in Sweetest
Susan's hand eating the "goody," as
the children called it, as fast as Buster
John could pick it out with an old
shoemaker's awl. The little creature
was very dainty about it, too. If the
meat of the scaly-b bark happened 10 be
the least spoiled or worm-eaten. he
promptly rejected it and called for bet
ter food. And between times he told
of some of his recent adventures.
Not SO very long ago" said Fit,
looking curiously at a piece of the
meat of a scaly-bark, and turning it
over and over in his nimble forepaws,
Il went home before the shine-ball
came out, and there l found a big
black snake curled up in my bed. He
raised his head and made his tongue
culver, and l was afraid to go in. L
didn't know what to do. I knew if the
shine-ball came out and found me away
from home, that l wouldn't be able to
see what was going on, for the shine
ball is so bright that it hurts my eyes.
Il wandered about among the trees,
jumping from one TO the other, until
finally / remembered where a wood
pecker had had a nest in a big pine not
far off. / had seen him hiding some
acorns there, and at night l used to so
there and see how they tasted, and l
thought if l could get there by the tine
the shine-ball came out, l could get 4
little rest. Well, l went TO the rire
and crawled into the woodpecker's
nest. But it was very uncomfortable
and had a bad smell There was 70
soft bed in it, such as I had at home,
and everything about it was rough.
The door Now, l don't think YOU
ought to eat all the good ones yourself
and pick out the bad ones for me. Why,
that last piece was black on one side."
This was addressed TO Buster John,
whose appetite for scaly-barks had as
serted itself when he began 10 pick
out the goodies" for Fit.
"There-now, that's better Eaid Fit.
with a satisfied chirp. THE door Of
the woodpecker's house looked towards
the place where the Shine-ball comes
from, and everything about 1t seemed
to be wrong. But it was the best I
could do. L crept in and curled up for
such sleep as l could get in such
place. / went to sleep, too. Tor [ was
very tired. How long l slept ! d:in't
know, but when / woke l was hut. Tine
shine-ball was looking right in the
door, and l was nearly suffOcate1.
At this point Fit pretended TO sleeze
to show how he suffered from the heat.
There was only one thing TO DO. and
L
way down the tree where the trunk
was large enough to hide che SHINE
ball. There ] stretched myself oIt On
a limb and tried to believe l Felt better.
Did l tell you the tree was dead? Well,
it was. outside of the woodnecker's
home there wasn't hiding place i'll II.
The pine was standing alone, ana he
only way to reach the thick woods
where l lived was to travel part of
the Way on q Zig-Zag fence.
Now, don't like to do this. 70 be
out in the light is bad enough, but TO
travel on a fence, with the sniAe-oall
and everything else looking at you, IS
worse still. So / stretched out on me
big limb not far from the ground, AMI
tried to be content. 1 didn't know how
long l lay there, but all of a sudden
felt the wind rushing down on me, and
under the limb l went like fiash-and
none too soon, for as | went under Dig
hawk came swishing by so close that L
could almost feel her feathers brush
me- Well. / was so frightened | began
to pant l had often heard of hawks !
and had been warned against them, |
but l never saw one before. Did you |
ever see one? They are terrible!
This hawk was not satisfied. she |
svooped and circled. as l do when l |
make long flying jump from tree to !;
tree. She circled upward and sailed |
around overhead. 1 couldn't see very |
we'll for the glare of the shine-ball."
What de name er goodness is de !
inquired Drusilla-
why. it's the sun, Soosey, answered
Sweetest Susan.
Il couldn't see very WE'LL said Fit, |
and so | went on top of the limb |
again; but / had hardly stretched out |
here. thinking the hawk was gone, |
when / felt the wind again. and this |
time she didn't miss me more |
than a hairs breadth. Up went 1
The hawk again, and l thought |
il would be best for me to |
STAY under the limb. But this didn't !
help me much. The hawk began to call |
her mate and in a very short time |
there were two of them sailing around. |
The biggest one came slowly down and |
lit on the limb right over me. She |
leaned forward and looked at me-and /
of all the horrible creatures you ever
breathed as loud as a 'possum snores.
Il came very near dropping from the
limb. / moved toward the body of the
tree and the hawk moved after me and
tried TO reach me with her hooked beak &
| made dash and went round the body
Of the tree, and as did so the hawks
mate came swooping down. BY this
time the other hawk was on the wing.
and by the time 1 darted on the other
side she was ready to swoop. This
have lasted long. Some one
came along and said Shoe to the
hawks, and they flew away. and then