The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-12-10
|. Little Stories for Bedtime 81
CHATTERER RUNS FOR HIS LIFE.
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS.
BY THORNTON ". BURGESS.
Copyright. 1918. by J. G. Lloyd.)

Chatterer the Red Squirrel had
excitement. He had even tried to
make some excitement by waking
Bobby Coon and making him SD angry
that Bobby had threatened to a him
alive. 1t had been great fun 10 dance
around and call Bobby James and
make fun of him. Oh. yes, it had
been great fun. You see he knew all
the time that Bobby couldn't catch
him if he should try. But now things
were different. Chatterer had all the
excitement that he wanted. indeed.
he had more than he wanted. The
truth is Chatterer was running for his
life and he knew it.
Il is a terrible thing, a very terrible
thing to have to run for ones life.
Peter Rabbit knows all about it. He
has run for his life often. Sometimes
it has been Reddy Fox behind him,
sometimes Bowscr the Hound, and
once or twice Old Man Coyote. Feter
has known that On his long legs his
life has depended and more than
once a terrible fear has filled his
heart. But Peter has also known
that if he could reach the old stone
wall or the dear Old Brier Patch first
iS "ouiu NC Sd4Cp dIl0 lie always has
reached it. SO when he has been rum
ming with that terrible fear in his
heart there has always been hope
there. too.
But chatterer the Red Squirrel was
running without hope. Yes, sir, there
was nothing but fear. terrible fear,
in his heart. for he knew not where
to go. The hollow tree Or tho holes
in the old stonewall, where he would
be safe from any else, even Farm
eli Browns boy. offered him no safe
" now. for the one who was follow
ing him with hunger in his cruel red
eyes could so anywhere that he could
so-could so i'll any hole big enough
for him to squeeze into. You see it
was Shadow the Weasel from whom
Chatterer was running, and Shadow is
SO slim that he can slip in and Of
places that even Chatrerer cannot get
through.
Chatterer knew. all this and 30. be-
cause it was Of no use to run to his
usual safe hiding places, he raj in
Just the other direction. He didn't
know where he was going. He had
Just one thought-to run and u as
long as he could and then, well. he
would try to fight, though he knew
it would be of no use.
"Oh, dear! Oh. dcar!" he sobbed
as he ran u on the branch Of a tree
and leaped across to the next tree,
II wish I had minded my own BUSH
ness! I wish I had kept my tongue
still. Shadow the Weasel wouldn't
have known where I was II he hadn't
heard my voice. Oh, dear! Oh, dear
me: What can I do? What can 1
do?"
Now, in his great fright Chatterer
had run and jumped so hard that he
was beginning to grow very tired.
Presently he found that he must
make a very long jump to reach the
next tree. He had often made as long
a jump as that and thought nothing
of it. out nov he was so tired that
the distance looked twice as great as
it really a He didn't dare stop to
run down the tree and scampcr
across. So he took n long breath, ran
swiftly. along the branch and leaped.
His hands just touched the tip Of
the nearest branch Of the other tree.
He tried his very best 10 hold on, but
he couldn't. Then down, down, down
he fell. He spread himself out as fiat
as he could and that saved him a lit
tie. but still it was a dreadful fall and
when he landed Ii seemed Tor just a
minute as If all the breath was gone
from his body. But it wasn't quite,
and in another minute he was
scrambling up the tree.
Next Story-shadow the Weasel
Enjoys Himself.