Evening star., 1938-02-04

HAPPY JACK the Gray Squirrel
fed with half an ear Of corn
that Farmer Browns Boy had tossed
to him. Chatterer the Red Squirrel,
greedy fellow that he is, started to
chase him, but abruptly changed his
mind He saw Farmer Browns Boy
moving over toward a certain tall
stump, his stump. Anyway, Chatterer
regarded it as his. for in it was stored
a good part of his winter supply Of
nuts and acorns So Chatterer re-
manned to scold and call Farmer
Browns Boy bad names and so to
forget all about Happy Jack, which
was just what Farmer Browns Boy
planned
Sure at last that Happy Jack had
made good his escape with that corn
and would have plenty to eat for the
remainder of that day at least, Farm
er Browns Boy continued on his way
through the Green Forest. He was
heading for little lean-to of brush.
He had built ii at the beginning Of
winter. It was for the special benefit
Of Thunderer the Ruffled Grouse, Mrs
Grouse and such Of their children as
might be wintering in that vicinity. It
was so built that the open side was
away from the prevailing winds and
so gave shelter from most storms. But
this last storm had been from tina:
side and Farmer Browns Boy knew
that Ir;f -,
there and later the rain must have
blown in, and so crust of ice must
later have formed over the food that
had been left there for the Grouse.
"Ha" exclaimed Farmer Browns
Boy under his breath, and stopped on
a knoll from which he could look
down between the trees to that shelter
OF brush. Just little way from it
was Reddy Fox. Reddy did not see
him. Reddy was too intent on some-
thing else to notice his approach He
was standing with his head cooked to
one side. 1t was clear that he was
listening intently. He took two or
three steps forward and stopped again
to listen. This time time when he
moved it was little to his left. For
a full minute he stood listening, one
black foot uplifted, his black ears set
forward, his mouth slightly open in
half grin. Suddenly he made a quick
leap to one side and began to paw at
the crust. He was excited. He was
trying to scratch open that crust and
he was having no success at all.
Must have somehow detected a
Mouse underneath" thought Farmer
Browns boy, and started on.
The sound of the skis caught
Reddy's attention. He threw his head
up and for an instant of startled won-
derment looked up at Farmer Browns
Boy. Turning, he trotted off out of
sight among the trees. He didn't
hurry. He didn't need to and this
he knew.
Farmer Browns Boy continued on
down to the spot where Reddy had
been so frantically trying to dig.
There were the marks of his claws,
but he had made no impression on
that hard, icy crust. AS Farmer
Browns Boy stood there wondering if
1t was q Mouse that had 50 excited
Reddy, and if not a Mouse what it
could have been, he heard a faint
sound, the location of which he
couldn't at first place.
He listened. his head little to one
side, much as Reddy had listened. For
several minutes he heard nothing. He
had about decided that he had been
mistaken, had been tricked by his
imagination, when he heard it again,
faint tap, tap, tap. This time there
was no doubt about it. 1t was coming
from q little to one side of where he
stood and from under that crust. Tap,
tap. Tap, tap. tap. Some one was
signaling. Some one was signaling
from underfoot. Some one was in
distress.
(C0nyripht 1o3Sl