The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-10-13
Squirrel Family.

Several years ago a FAMILY of chat
tering red squirrels set up housekeep-
Ing in our barn and soon became very
friendly. On fine winter days they
would come into the yard to see if
Doctor Pug had left any thing for
them to eat, and as Doctor had a
somewhat fastidious appetite, they
seldom found the basin empty.
We rarely saw them on the groun1
except close by a tree trunk, up which
they would dart when in any way dis
turbed. When going abroad they made
use of the "air line" Coming out of
the barn by a convenient hole under
the caves, they ran to the roof, and
from there made a flying leap to the
nearest tree, a tall branching chestnut,
Running along on the slender branch
es, they leaped to a mulberry tree,
then to the swaying branches of a
grapevine, which chung to a black
cherry tree, up which they would run
to the very top. From this dizzy
height they would leap and catch the
1.-THE branches of an elm, and from
there to a maple, then to an apple
tree; and so On around he orchard
and home again, without touching the
ground.
In the middle of our orchard is an
old apple tree with the branches
spreading wide from a low, stocky
trunk. In this tree, reached by a
short flight of steps, we have a seat,
n a0oJ o-l lo1;-hff, ,.ntroot whnp the
trees are in bloom, or later, when the
apples are turning rudy IN the au-
tumn sun.
AS we sit there quietly with our
books birds fly fearlessly among the
branches over our heads, and the
squirrels, with chatter n many
pranks, go over the air line with never
an accident, transacting what is evil
IDENTIFY very important business.
These squirrels come out for a play
in the trees near the house at the same
hour every evening, and it has become
a habit for us to sit On the piazza and
watch them. One evening there was
an unusual connection among them,
and with the aid of an opera glass
we discovered hat the baby squirrels
had grown big enough to leave the
nest, and were being conducted over
the aerial railway for the first time.
Such a chattering and chirping l never
heard!
The parents exhibited deep concern.
and besides vigorous scolding, an oc-
casional cuff was administered. Final
ly a start was made, Father Squirrel
leading the way from the roof to the
chestnut tree, followed by children,
mother and friends.
But the little legs had not strength
for long leaps, and o and then one
would hang for a moment by his claws,
seemingly about to drop. but chee-ed
on by the old squirrels, which hasten
ed to his relief. So they passed out
of sight into the richard. We heard
them returning as the stars were COM
ing out. and after this the airline was
in constant use.
AS the nuts showed signs of ripen-
ing the squirrels were unusually busy,
inspecting each tree, if not each nut,
many times daily. The chestnut burs
were so prickly that they could not
open them, but they made a regular
business of gathering the butternuts
before they were ripe enough to fall.
One squirrel would run up the tree.
and selecting a fine nut. would gnaw
the stem till it fell to the ground,
where his watchful mate would seize
it and carry it to the ~storehouse.
While willing that the squirrels
should have a share OF the nuts Donna
wanted a few for herself. Those that
she gathered she spread to dry on a
table in the shed. Closely as she
watched and turned them she found
that they were fast disappearing, no
one could tell how: but the mystery
was solved one day when Donna en-
tered the shed and saw five squirrels
disappearing through a broken pane,
each with a nut in it's mouth.
After this we saw them in the shed
every day, and nuts and apples disap-
pearing by wholesale. Though shy,
they were not afraid, and instead of
running, would jump into some lum-
Der stored overhead, and from there
chatter and scold and wait for us to
leave.
These squirrels stayed with us three
years, and we enjoyed their merry
pranks. and guarded them from harm
in all possible way In the late sum-
mer our house was closed for a few
weeks, and when we returned the
squirrels were gone, and have
come back.
The neighbors told us that boys
with guns had been roaming about our
orchard, and as we found box-traps
set there. which we're Immediately de-
molished, we knew why the airline
was no longer used.