The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-03
SAVE HIM
They Furnish Food for Starving
Wood Chopper.

SHERBURNE, VT, Feb. 2.-If Albert
Denslow RECEIVERS from a recent expert
ence on Pico mountain he will owe his
life to a family of gray squirrels. Dens-
low is chopper, and a couple of weeks
ago went to a wood lot five miles from
the village to cut stove wood. He took
provisions enough to last him a week,
and on Saturday noon left camp to
spend Sunday here.
He had gone about a mile and a half
when he slipped, fell and wrenched his
right hip so badly that he could not
bear his weight on his leg. After lying
in the snow until dusk, with his leg
becoming more painful every moment.
he became desperate. There was not
a human being within miles, and to
spend a night in the forest in his con-
dition meant certain death. Finally,
remembering an old log hut half a mile
north of him, he began to crawl to 1t,
worming his way over fallen logs,
around rocks and through patches of
blackberry bushes that tore his cloth
ing and lacerated his hands and face.
He reached the cabin at l o'clock in
the morning and built fire in an old
hearth. Then he bathed his thigh, and,
propping himself up in front of the
cOngenial blaze, went to sleep. He
awoke in the morning stiff, sore and
ravenously hungry. His leg was still
swelling, and every move caused him
great pain. 1t would be several days
before he could hope to leave, and the
chopper was staring starvation in the
face when he noticed gray squirrel
on the floor and another on a rafter
over his head. They We're observing
him curiously and chattering.
Denslow's heart thumped rapidly and
he shiyered from excitement. Here,
indeed, was food that had fallen upon
him like mamma on the desert A loose
stone lay near his hand, and with a
cat-like movement he secured it. Then.
carefully getting arm room, he hurled
the missile at the squirrel. The stone
hit the floor at the animals feet, car
omed to the wall and struck a loose
board
There was rafting in the partition,
and from hole at the top of the base
board rolled a well-dried butternut.
The squirrel had disappeared like a
shot, leaving the choppers eyes riv-
eted on the nut. 1t required but few
moments to crowl across the room and
procure it. In another moment it had
been cracked with the stone intended
for the squirrel, and the meat Law in
DenslOw's hand. One more moment
and the morsel was down his throat.
Squirrels don't hide single nuts, and,
trembling with anticipation, the chop
out tumbled at least a bushel of the
nuts. There were more back of an
other board. and Densldw made
hearty meal. Then he melted some
snow in an old tin can, took long
drink and replenished the fire.
There was no use trying to move
much, so the man remained quiet, bath
ing his leg in snow water and keeping
as warm as he could. During the day
he discovered an old discarded over
coat, and that night had a more COM
Portable sleep. All the next day he
dined on nuts and water, and the
swelling began to go down. 1t was
two more days before he could bear
his weight on the limb to get to the
village. When he did reach here he
was in a bad condition and was a
trifle weak mentally, but it is believed
he will pull through in a few days.
Denslow used to be a great squirrel