Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-01-24
CATCHING SQUIRRELS
ny ERNEST rGArFEY.

n ~ church early, and John had stage,
home 10 DO chores, IA pace Of tie Liret
man, who had been called away to see
sick brother u the Little town u Chicken
Bristes. John felt lonesome enough, brows
! ing around the house and looking out ovei
the prairie A wary chicken hawk sailed
high above but the whistling skurry of a
charge Of buckshot had made him skeptioal
about the chances Of forage il that vicinity
. John chopped a little wood and fed the
mules before he sat down to his solitary
dinner. The pigs were remembered, a guam
tity Of hay chopped of Of the west haystack
and some corn .shueked" for night AS the
boy looked over toward the Satterlee farm
be saw black speek on hilltop that caught
his eye Immediately. bet that's Ferris, "
be said TO himself. He went back to tie
haystack and climbed to a point Of vantage
to reconnoiter Sure enough il was his
ehum and be slid to the ground in burst Of
JOY In few minutes Ferris came in on a
smart tlope," and John let down the bars
for him. Ferris pony was soon slowed
away in an empty stall, with a generous sup
| ply OF "sluegfass" 10 MUNICH on, and then
the boys began to study up some excitement
Among the denizens of the prairies there
were a number that had local names and
| Ferris had listed them off to John during
the days they were together. First, there
was the badger, only occasionally seen.
Long, heavy and sly. Then there was the
pouched gopher, the greatest digger of them |
all, with pockets TO carry his family in at a |
pinch. Then there were the little striped |
ground squirrels, as Ferris called them, and /
the prairie gray squirrel, about as big as |
timber gray squirrel. All these animals lived |
In holes in the ground, and the ground SOUR.
res and gray squirrels were in reality /
gophers. They were thick on the slopes sur
rounding the farm, and the pouched gophers
were exceedingly destructive Traps, poison,
bullets and shot were freely distributed
among them at different times by the boys,
and Uncle Tom gave ten cents apiece for the
big fellows.
The boys drifted out to the edge Of the
farm and erawled up on the haystaek To.
ward the river the grass lay il great sheets,
waving and rising as the winds flew ever.
The sun shone and darkened az the cloud
currents shifted, and the air glowed in the
sun. AT last, as they looked out toward the
main road, John saw a little gray form sit
up in some short grass, and he pointed it out
TO Ferris. Gray squirrel" said the lat
ter. Got hole there somewhere" Lets
drown him out suggested John. CAL
right" responded Ferris The boys slid 10
the ground and ran out on the prairie. The
prairie gray squirrel tucked his tail in and
started for home. lie seooted through the
grass for few yards and then Owed into '
a hole on little rise Of ground and disap. h
peared. After locating his retreat the bows
lugged big bucket Of water over 10 the
hole and poured it in. Then they waited "
for the squirrel to put in an appearance.
They were armed with a stick apiece and
were ready to demolish the object Of their
iolieitude the instant he should put in an 9
appearance. But the gray squirrel evidently
I'D not object in the least to the proceeding.
While they were both engaged in sluieinq
ne squirrels abode with the second bucket.
al he suddenly popped out and rushed over
Q another hole before the pursuers could ~
yet their sticks and cut him off. The second -
lole was good deal farther away than the :,
lrst, ane the boys were disguised with his :. u
qulrrelshlp. Let's get the spades and dig u
nm out, said Ferris. That's what" said
,,ohn; Wen get him if we have to 60 W
through China for him" "You wait here Y
III get the spades" he continued, and he
'ent over to the barn and came back with
"o narrow bladed spades such as they used
D Dig post-holes with on the farm. Wish he
e knew Just which way the hole run, said a
errls; we could get right al him, then" !
Gay, said John, this may be long job:
b'lieve III go to the house and get some :.
oughnuts and pitcher Of milk" That's nc
good scheme" assepted his cbum 60 Iabn bli
aled oil to the house and returned with
g pitcher OF milk and about three dozen
oughnuts.
Alter taking generous drink Of milk and ha
ohlng a couple of doughnuts apiece the av
oys grabbed the spades and started Wig
'ousiy TO work. The spades rose and fell sb
% the art heap assumed huge proportions Of
nd sun the subterranean labyrinth Of the M,
ay squirrel heightened. Ferris finally said. $500
we could drown'd him out now with one
leketful| NO, Wen dig him out, now 4
We started, replied John, sticking his c,v
ace INTO the dirt with renewed determine. g
IN. IL seemed as though the fleeing ami. mo
al must have struck an old channel or un- I
rground gallery, for all at once he an OIL
AIRED to have distanced his woudbe cap. to-
rs ihey dropped their spades and ran
out, looking Tor possible exit to the hole
had gone IN, but there did not seem to S
any, 50 they returned to their task. tin,
10y hAN AAhth lutlT coats OH, tied nm
err 'galluses' and were perspiring freely cal
was point Of honor now-aroot hog or !
= They must get that squirrel. The soil -
IS sandy and the digging comparatively mig
~, but the earth would slip from the
ades and they were not able to raise rnueb /.
on the points Of their implements. With a
6 working, they threw up a great deal cak
soil, but they did not seem TO he getting ma
y much nearer to the squirrel. AT last. "a
viewer, by herculean efforts they were Re. me
rded by coming across certain gray hairs. tor.
ieh hunted Of the close proximity Of the
ne. Thus encouraged, they redoubled
'ir exertions. Finally John put his ear "
WI close and heard the pounding Of tbe doc
nrrels feet as he dug away to the right ~
persistent attempt to get away. We've
himl" be yelled, excitedly. sHe's close 80
l heard him digging So again TIE W
Is bent to their work, and BY and by John Wee
ehed IN and grabbed the squirrel by the
: Of his damp neck and hauled him out
the hole. The little animal was il. a woe. ID
zone plight. He had lost some Of his VIII,