A TRUE SQUIRREL STORY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 3 (Supplement)

A TRUE SQUIRREL STORY.

"Hi, ' there, Sandy. There's a- mußk- ! rat! See hirti? Right over there. He's coming your way." Joe Meeboe was I excited and I turned in my boat toward him as he pointed, balancing himself atop the bow-seat in his own skiff. Sure enough, there was a little animal heading for a point of land between the two boats on this beautiful Wisconsin lake. I made haste to intercept him, not because I wished to harm or frighten the little fellow, but to obtaiii a better view of him for the two boys and myself. Strange how the little rascal kept his head and tail floating with the motion of his active legs. Not much like a muskrat, I thought. What could it be, anyhow? A rabbit? A mink? A weasel? Tod small for a fox., We were not kept waiting long. As I sculled the boat between the shore and himself just in the nick of time, there he Was only two feet away from us—and coming steadily on. Afraid? I should say not! "Fut, fut, fut, fut, fut, fut," he stuttered at hie, ae much as to say, "I've had enough, and I'm going to take a chancet on you, but you'd better behave yourself." And, with that, he wearily clambered into the boat and sat on the same seat with Karl. "It's a fox-squirrel, dad," yelled the boy. "He clear across the lake. 5 ' His hand started toward the tired little quadruped as though to stroke his head affectionately. I advised the lad to leave him alone. This squirrel was not one of the tame Sort you meet in parks. He was a wild forest creature, not accustomed to humans. The little'animal had evidently swum out too far, and'in his ment overcame his timidity by coming to us for aid. The boys were full of excitement over their unexpected jdsitor. But the guest did not impose uport our hospitality. Refreshed somewhat from his moment of relaxation, the long-distance swimmer hopped along the boat and over the seat oh which I was sitting to the bow, from which he fearlessly dropped into the water and ended his journey a few feet away in the limbs of an overhanging tree.