The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-12-13
Have a Heart, Boys
(By Martin B. Heselton)
Especial for the Reporter)

In the rear or my nome on maple
street | have quite an extent of I'M
occupied land, which is too small for
farm but of very generous proper
lions for a garden. l make use of
it from season to season for all sorts
of somewhat limited agricultural pur-
poses. There is quite piece of
grass in addition to the garden area.
Since haying and along thru the fall
of 1928 l turned out couple of good
faithful work horses there to Craze.
We're good friends, these horses and
l. They do me splendid service and
I~take good care of them. They
know me so well that | did not have
any trouble, originally, in getting
them to come in when | want them
to go to work. can just walk right
up to them anywhere and put bride
on them.
There is a nice sand pit on this
land and at one place the sand is
pretty coarse, almost gravel. The
boys all over that neighborhood have
been accustomed to come to this spot
to get the small pebbles for their
"nigger shooters" This has been
with nay knowledge and consent; as
matter of fact I have been very
glad to see the youngsters around
there.
After time I found my horses were
getting new notions. When l went
out after them they would seem
afraid to see me coming. At first /
was able to overcome their timidity,
catch them and lead them in all right.
AS time progressed I had to change
my tactics and add a dish Of grain to
my equipment if | expected to get
anywhere near them. This puzzled
me quite a lot I did not know that
| had changed in physique, dress or
habits. Thought l had been treating
them just as we'll and counted on the
same friendly relationship, but the
horses had grown suspicious. One
day | got the answer to this problem.
The boys had been using the horses
to practice on with their niger
shooters and my gravel pit was fur
nishing the ammunition. OF course
old Bob and Charlie could not discri-
inmate. They felt the sting on their
neck and TANKS and got into the habit
of thinking that whenever man or
boy appeared they were sure to be in
for this uncomfortable experience.
Hence they avoided me although /
never carried anything more offensive
than bride or dish of oats.
had a piece of corn out In this
same lot. AS it grew to maturity /
found that some animal was eating
! now and then an ear. Could not
make out just what it was. 1t did
not trouble me much the loss was not
serious anyway. BY and by | cut
this corn and put it under cover.
Used TO feed the stalks as long as
they were fairly green to the horses
above mentioned. AS | got time
would take off the ears, braid two of
them together and hang them up over
! head in pairs in my stable chamber.
/ had noticed some animal had fol-
! lowed the corn from the patch into
the shed where the fodder was put
and from there to the stable and was
/ eating little now and then. Once
! in while | could hear something
/ scurry away as I approached. After
+ hung the corn uD | would find about
every morning, one ear on the fooT
and its mate gone. 1t seemed that
whatever was after my crop would
gnaw off the husk so that the two
ears would fall to the floor. There
/ seemed to be kind of fifty-fifty I'M
derstanding about it because one ear
would be left and the other taken
i BY and by discovered that my friend
/ ly marauder was a gray squirrel. He
was big handsome fellow and J
i lust made him understand the best
| could that he was welcome to my
premises and all the corn he wanted
/ to eat. No doubt he had a guilty
conscience. Perhaps he expected ]
/. should be very angry at him for eat
ing my corn all summer and starting
in on the program for the fall and
winter, but | was not at all and he
gradually found that had no inten-
ton to do him harm.
Sometime in the fall I discovered
where he had a nest in an ash tree
and | think he used to go out there
once in a while on the warm, sunny
fall days. One afternoon it seems
he met with my boy visitors, pretty
mucn IIle ShIlt Ouco WIZ hou
gotten me in wrong with my horses.
Now these boys probably all come of
fathers who have hunted deer, part
ridge, and other game. They have
very likely heard their parents tell
of hunting exploits, and perhaps of
squirrel shooting. | do not suppose
ought to be surprised that they took
my pet to be fair game. They did
anyway and chased the poor little
fellow around like a band of blood
thirsty comanches. He must have
hidden from them in my wood pile.
These boys forgot their" antipathy to
wood in all its form and scattered my
fuel around the field until the squir-
rel was obliged to clear out. From
here he must have gone into~one OF
the trees, for-I could see where they
had put up sticks to climb up after
him. They evidently pursued him
without mercy until they got him into
corner or tired him out. AT any
rate, they finally dubbed him to
death. Though mortally wound
ed he made desperate effort to get
to his home nest but succeeded only
in reaching the lower limb of the
tree when he fell over. hanging from