The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-08

several piles of nuts hidden in stumps
and under logs in the vicinity OF his nome.
/ Bit, unfortunately for him. oand oi
thoughtless boys, roaming the WOODS, ac-
cidentaiiy came upon enc OF ms hoaros'
ard in noisy glee began TO fill their pock-
| cts with their piunder. The presence OF
| these nuts in itself suggested there mlgne
| be more in the vicinity, ana before dark
| the urchins had so thoroughly secured
| that they had found and carried OF every
NIT which the squirrel had been at suCn
pains to gather. Poor fellow, he had a
very hard time of 1t for the next few
days trying In vain to borrow or stsal
some of his brethren. But they were all
to selfish to loan or too wide awake to
be robbed and drove the hungry one
away with much abusive chatter. and he
in desperation. stole repeatedly from the
store Of a woodhouse. But the latter
was to- wise TO allow that sort of thing
to continue, and removed her provisions
20 hole under rock where the squirrel
could no longer get at them. After that
he got very hungry indeed.
Outside of my study window there Is
placed every window large wooden ray
filed with canary seez, bread crumbs.
shredded suet and cracked nuts, and
many hungry birds come there to get
their meals. One morning, as / looked
through the window. / saw not single
bird, but a thin, red squirrel, sitting right
in the middle of the tray and eating as
Jockeys eat at the end OF a racing season
When 1 approached he seemed alarmed
IT,
and continued TO stuff himself with the
best the tray afforded. / declined to let
him stay as long as he would, but when
/ found him there the next morning | was
obliged to put up another tray for the
birds, in place where the squirrel could
not reach it. The four-footed pensioner
grew bold the incre asing rotundity of
his body pressed the wrinkles out of his
skin, and he kept his seat even if opened
the window. At last he became almost
arrogant. and scolded If l appeared at
the window while he was feeding But
the laws of hospitality though made of
elastic. may be stretched but not COM
pressed. and, as he chose to stay all win
ter, he stayed.
In the spring the migrant birds came
back and among them 4 pair OF robins,
which nested in an apple tree in my gar
den All went well until the young birds
We're Matched, when one day l heard the
angry voices of the parent birds. and
locked out to see what the trouble was
The mother robin was seated on a low
branch. and with lowered wings and tail,
was screaming loudly at some object be-
low her. apparently IN the trunk of the
trees. Presently she darted down with
her crest raised, ana her bill open and
ready for business. and then l caught
sight Of the rascaily red squirrel, who
round the trunk to avoid her.
Round and round she chased him. until
he seemed to lose his presence of mind
ard leaped TO the ground. He started
across the grass (at fun speeo, but she
was after him like fury, and he squeak
ed In abject terror as he fled across the
road and into the woods where the bird
gave up the chase, ruffled and triumph
ant.
Had he profited by this experience, the
red squirrel m ght have Deen living to-
day, but one morning he wandered into
the garden of neighbor who was study
ing a pair of redstarts. The squirrel
found the nest, too. and a moment after
wards he was seated near 1t, with one of
the eggs in his paws But he never fin
ished that egg, for my neighbor has gun
and he values redstarts higher than red
squi,rels.-Ernest Harold Baynes in New
York Post.