Bannertail: The Story of a Graysquirrel Read online

  This was the strenuous founding of the new nest, and these were amongthe hidden springs of action and of unshaped thoughts that ruled thefounding.

  The nest was finished in three days. A rain roof over all of fresh flatleaves, an inner lining of chewed cedar bark, an abundance of aromaticsassafras, one or two little quarrels over accidental rags thatBannertail still seemed to think worth while. But the new nest wasfinished, pure and sweet with a consecrating, plague-defying aroma ofcedar and of sassafras to be its guardian angel.

  _THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG_

  CHAPTER XIX

  THE MOVING OF THE YOUNG

  IT was very early in the morning, soon after sunrise, that they took thehazard of moving the young. Silvergray had fed the babies and looked outand about, and had come back and looked again. Then, picking up thenearest by the scruff of its neck, she rose to the doorway. Now a greatracket sounded in the woods. Silvergray backed in again and down,dropped the young one, then put her head out. The noise increased, thetrampling of heavy feet. She backed till only her nose was out, andwatched. Soon there came in view huge red-and-white creatures withhorns. She had often seen them, and held them harmless, but why werethey moving so fast? There were other noises coming, much smaller,indeed, but oh, how much more dangerous were the two that followed anddrove the herd!--a tow-topped boy and a yellow-coated dog. At war withall the world of harmless wood-folk, these two would leave a trail ofslaughtered bodies in their wake, if only their weapons were as deadlyas their wishes. So Silvergray sank back and brooded over the nursery,varying her loving mothering with violent scratching of a hind foot, orsudden pounce to capture with her teeth some shiny, tiny creeping thingamong the bed stuff or on the young ones' fluffy skins.

  The sun was up above the trees. The Bluejay sang"_Too-root-el-too-root-el_," which means, "all clear." And the glad RedSinging-Hawk was wheeling in great rhythmic swoops to the sound of hisown wild note, "_Kyo-kyo-kyoooo._" He wheeled and rejoiced in his songand his flight.

  "All's clear! All's well!" sang Crow and Bluejay--these watchful ones,watchful, perforce, because their ways of rapine have filled the worldwith enemies. And Silvergray prepared a second time for the periloustrip. She took the nearest of her babies, gently but firmly, and,scrambling to the door, paused to look and listen, then took the finalplunge, went scurrying and scrambling down the trunk. On the ground shepaused again, looked forward and back, then to the old nest to see hermate go in and come out again with a young one in his mouth, as thoughhe knew exactly what was doing and how his help was needed. With anangry "_Quare!_" she turned and scrambled up again, bumping the babyshe bore with many a needless jolt, and met Bannertail. Nothing lessthan rage was in her voice, "_Quare, quare, quare!_" and she sprang athim. He could not fail to understand. He dropped the baby on a broad,safe crotch, and whisked away to turn and gaze with immeasurablesurprise. "Isn't that what you wanted, you hothead?" he seemed to say."Didn't we plan to move the kids?" Her only answer was a hissing"_Quare!_" She rushed to the stranded little one, made one or two vainefforts to carry it, as well as the one already in her mouth, thenbounded back to the old home with her own charge, dropped it, camerushing back for the second, took that home, too, then vented all herwrath and warnings in a loud, long "_Qua!_" which plainly meant: "Youlet the kids alone. I don't need your help. I wouldn't trust you.This is a mother's job."

  WITH AN ANGRY "QUARE!" SILVERGRAY SCRAMBLED UP AGAIN]

  She stayed and brooded over them a long time before making the thirdattempt. And this time the impulse came from the tickling crawlers inthe bed. She looked forth, saw Bannertail sitting up high, utterlybewildered. She gave a great warning "_Qua!_" seized number one for thethird time, and forth she leaped to make the great migration.

  The wood was silent except for its own contented life, and she gothalf-way to the new nest, when high on a broad, safe perch she pausedand set her burden down. Was it the maddening tickling of a crawler thatgave the hint, or was it actual wisdom in the lobes behind those liquideyes? Who knows? Only this is sure, she looked that baby over from endto end. She hunted out and seized in her teeth and ground to shreds tenof the plaguing crawlers. She combed herself, she scratched andsearched her coat from head to tail, and on her neck, where she couldnot see, she combed and combed, till of this she was certain, no insectsof the tickling, teasing kind were going with her to the new home. Thenseizing her baby by the neck-scruff, up she bounded, and in tenheart-beats he was lying in their new and fragrant bed.

  For a little while she cuddled him there, to "bait him to it," as thewoodsmen say. Then, with a parting licking of his head, she quit thenest and hied away for the rest of the brood.

  Bannertail had taken the hint. He was still up high, watching, but notgoing near the old nest.

  Silvergray took number two and did the very same with him, deloused himthoroughly on the same old perch, then left him with the first. Thethird went through the same. And Silvergray was curled up with thethree in the new high nest for long, before Bannertail, after muchpatient, watchful waiting, seeing no return of Silvergray, went swingingto the old nest to peep in, and realized that it was empty, cold,abandoned.

  He sat and thought it over. On a high, sunny perch that he had oftenused, he made his toilet, as does every healthy Squirrel, thoroughlycombed his coat and captured all, that is, one or two of the crawlersthat had come from the old nest. He drank of the spring, went foragingfor a while, then swung to the new-made nest and shyly, cautiously,dreading a rebuff, went slowly in. Yes, there they were. But would shetake him in? He uttered the low, soft, coaxing "_Er-er-er-er_," whichexpresses every gentleness in the range of Squirrel thought and feeling.No answer. He made no move, but again gave a coaxing "_Er-er-er_," along pause, then from the hovering furry form in the nest came one soft"_Er_," and Bannertail, without reserve, glided in and curled about themall.

  _THE COMING-OUT PARTY_

  CHAPTER XX

  THE COMING-OUT PARTY

  APRIL, the Green-grass Moon, was nearly gone, the Graycoats in their newhigh home were flourishing and growing. Happy and ed now, it was anevent like a young girl's coming-out, when first these Squirrelets cameforth from the nest "on their own," and crawling on their tremblinglegs, with watchful mother nigh. They one by one scrambled on to theroof of the home, and, with a general air of "Aren't we big; aren't wewonderful?" they stretched and basked in the bright warm morning sun.

  A Hawk came wheeling high over the tree tops. He was not hunting, for hewheeled and whistled as he wheeled. Silvergray knew him well, and markedhis ample wings. She had seen a Redtail raid. This might not be of thebandit kind, but a Hawk is a Hawk. She gave a low, warning "_Chik,chik_" to the family, to which they paid not a whit of attention. So sheseized each in turn by the handy neck-scruff, and bundled him indoors tosafety.

  Three times this took place on different days. Three times the mother'svigorous lug home was needed, and by now the lesson was learned. "_Chik,chik_" meant "Look out; danger; get home."

  They were growing fast now. Their coats were sleek and gray. Their tailswere as yet poor skimps of things, but their paws were strong and theirclaws were sharp as need be. They could scramble all about the old Hawknest and up and down the rugged bark of the near trunk. Their differentdispositions began to show as well as their different gifts andmake-up.

  _NURSERY DAYS OF THE YOUNG ONES_

  CHAPTER XXI

  NURSERY DAYS OF THE YOUNG ONES

  SQUIRRELS do not name their babies as we do; they do not think of themby names; and yet each one is itself, has individual looks or ways thatstand for that one in the mother's mind, so is in some sort its name.Thus the biggest one had a very brown head and a very gray coat. He wasstronger than the others, could leap just a little farther and was notso ready to bite when playing with the rest. The second brother was notso big as Brownhead, and he had an impatient way of rebelling at anylittle thing that did not please him. He would explode into a shrill"_Cray!_" which was a well-known Squirrel exclamation, only he made itvery thin and angry. Even to father and mother he would shriek "_Cray!_"if they did in the least a thing that was not to his wish.

  The third and smallest was a little girl-Squirrel, very shy and gentle.She loved to be petted and would commonly snuggle up to mother, whiningsoftly, "_Nyek, nyek_," even when her brothers were playing, as well asat feeding-time. So in this sort they named themselves, Brownhead, Cray,and Nyek-nyek.

  The first lesson in all young wild life is this, "Do as you are told";the penalty of disobedience is death, not always immediate, not clearlyconsequent, but soon or late it comes. This indeed is the law, drivenhome and clinched by ages of experience: "Obey or die."

  If the family is outstretched in the sun, and keen-eyed mother sees aHawk, she says, "_Chik, chik_," and the wise little ones come home. Theyobey and live. The rebellious one stays out, and the Hawk picks him up,a pleasant meal.

  If the family is scrambling about the tree trunk and one attempts toclimb a long, smooth stretch, from which the bark has fallen, mothercries "_Chik, chik_," warning that he is going into danger. The obedientone comes back and lives. The unruly one goes on. There is no clawholdon such trunks. He falls far to the ground and pays the price.

  If one is being carried from a place of danger, and hangs limp andsubmissive from his mother's mouth, he is quickly landed in a place ofsafety. But one that struggles and rebels, may be cut by mother'stightening teeth, or dropped by her and seized on by some enemy athand. There are always enemies alert for such a chance. Or if he swingsto drink at the familiar spring and sees not what mother sees, aBlacksnake lurking on a log, or heeds not her sharp "Keep back," hegoes, and maybe takes a single sip, but it is his last.

  If one, misled by their bright color, persists in eating fruit of thedeadly nightshade, ignoring mother's warning, "_Quare, quare!_" he eats,he has willed to eat; and there is a little Squirrel body tumbled fromthe nest next day, to claim the kindly care of growing plants anddrifting leaves that will hide it from the view.

  Yes, this is the law, older than the day when the sun gave birth to ourearth that it might go its own way yet still be held in law: "Obey andlive; rebel and die."

  _CRAY HUNTS FOR TROUBLE_

  CHAPTER XXII

  CRAY HUNTS FOR TROUBLE

  BOISTEROUS, strong, and merry was Brownhead, the very son of his father.Eager to do and ready to go; yet quick to hear when the warning came,"_Quare_," or the home call, "_Chik, chik_." Well-fleshed was he anddeeply fur-clad, although it was scarcely mid-May, and his tail alreadywas past the switch stage and was frilling out with the silver frill ofhis best kin. Frolicsome, merry, and shy, very shy was Nyek-nyek. Insome speech she would have been styled a "mammy pet." Happy with mother,playing with her brothers, but ever ready to go to mother. Slight ofbody, but quick to move, quick to follow, and nervously quick to obey,she grew and learned the learning of her folk.

  Last was Cray, quickest of them all, not so heavy as Brownhead, yetagile, inquisitive, full of energy, but a rebel all the time. He wouldclimb that long, smooth column above the nest. His mother's warning heldhim not. And when the clawhold failed he slipped, but jumped and landedsafe on a near limb.

  He would go forth to investigate the loud trampling in the woods, andfar below him watched with eager curiosity the big, two-legged thingthat soon discovered him. Then there was a loud crack like a heavy limbbroken by the wind, and the bark beside his head was splintered by ablow that almost stunned him with its shock, although it did not touchhim. He barely escaped into the nest. Yes, he still escaped.

  _THE LITTLE SQUIRRELS GO TO SCHOOL_

  CHAPTER XXIII

  THE LITTLE SQUIRRELS GO TO SCHOOL

  THESE are among the lessons that a mother Squirrel, by example, teaches,and that in case of failure are emphasized by many little reproofs ofvoice, or even blows:

  Clean your coat, and extra-clean your tail; fluff it out, try its trigsuppleness, wave it, plume it, comb it, clean it; but ever remember it,for it is your beauty and your life.

  When there is danger on the ground, such as the trampling of heavy feet,do not go to spy it out, but hide. If near a hole, pop in; if on a bighigh limb, lie flat and still as death. Do not go to it. Let it come toyou, if it will.

  In the air, if there is danger near, as from Hawks, do not stop untilyou have at least got into a dense thicket, or, better still, a hole.

  If you find a nut when you are not hungry, bury it for future use.Nevertheless this lesson counted for but little now, as all last year'snuts were gone, and this year's far ahead.

  If you must travel on the ground, stop every little while at some highplace to look around, and fail not then each time to fluff and jerk yourtail.

  When in the distant limbs you see something that may be friend or foe,keep out of sight, but flirt your white tail tip in his view. If it be aGraycoat, it will answer with the same, the wigwag: "I'm a Squirrel,too."

  THE LITTLE SQUIRRELS AT SCHOOL]

  Learn and practise, also, the far jumps from tree to tree. You'llsurely need them some day. They are the only certain answer to theRed-eyed Fury that lives on Mice, but that can kill Squirrels, too, ifhe catches them; that climbs and jumps, but cannot jump so far as theGraycoats, and dare not fall from high, for he has no plumy tail,nothing but a useless little tag.

  Drink twice a day from the running stream, never from the big pond inwhich the grinning Pike and mighty Snapper lie in wait. Go not in theheat of the day, for then the Blacksnake is lurking near, and quicker ishe even than a Squirrel, on the ground.

  Go not at dusk, for then the Fox and the Mink are astir. Go not bynight, for then is the Owl on the war-path, silent as a shadow; he isfar more to be feared than the swish-winged Hawk. Drink then at sunriseand before sunset, and ever from a solid log or stone which affordsgood footing for a needed sudden jump. And remember ever that safety isin the tree tops--in this and in lying low.

  These were the lessons they slowly learned, not at any stated time orplace, but each when the present doings gave it point. Brownhead wasquick and learned almost overfast; and his tail responding to his dailycare was worthy of a grown-up. Lithe, graceful Nyek-nyek too, wasgrowing wood-wise. Cray was quick for a time. He would learn well at anew lesson, then, devising some method of his own, would go ahead andbreak the rules. His mother's warning "_Quare_" held him back not atall. And his father's onslaught with a nip of powerful teeth onlystirred him to rebellious fight.

  _THE LOPPING OF THE WAYWARD BRANCH_

  CHAPTER XXIV

  THE LOPPING OF THE WAYWARD BRANCH

  CURIOSITY may be the trail to knowledge, but it skirts a dangerouscliff. The Rose moon, June, was on the hills, its thrill joy set thewhole wood world joy-thrilling. The Bannertail family had frolicked in agame of tag-and-catch all around the old Hawk nest, and up the longsmooth pole went Cray to show that he could do it. His mother warnedhim, "_Quare!_" but up he went, and down he came without a hint offailure. Then they scattered, scampering for a game of hide-and-seek,when the heavy sound of some big brute a-coming was wind-borne to them.The mother gave the warning "_Chik_." Three of them quickly got to thesafe old nest. Silvergray flattened on the up side of a rugged limb;Cray, seeing nothing near, and scoffing at their flurry, made for a bigcrotch into which he could sink from sight if need be, and waited. Invain his mother cried, "_Chik_"; Cray wouldn't "_chik_"; he wanted toknow what it was all about. The heavy trampling sound came near.Silvergray peeped over and could see very well; it was the two-leggedBrute with the yellow yapping four-legs that she more than once had metbefore. They rambled slashingly around; the Yap-cur eagerly wagging hishideous tail. He swung his black snout in the air, gave out a long"_Yap!_" another and another. Then the Two-legs came slowly nearer,staring up into the rooftrees and moving awkwardly sidewise round andround the tree. Cray peered out farther to watch him. In vain thewise little mother Squirrel whispered "_Chik, chik!_" No, he would not"_chik_." As the Ground-brute circled the tree, Cray, trying to keep himin sight, quit all attempt at hiding. The yellow four-legs yappedexcitedly. Then the big Ground-brute held very still. Cray was amused atthis; he felt so safe that he called out a derisive "_Qua!_" There was aloud sound like thunder, a flash like lightning, and Cray fell headlong,splashing the gold-green leaves with his bright, hot young blood. Hismother saw him go with a clutching of her mother heart. And Mother Careysaw him go, and said: "It had to be." For this is the fulfilling of thelaw; this is the upbuilding of the race; this is the lopping of thewayward branch.