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CHAPTER IX.

The hard battle.

In coming home by some cherry trees that stood near the fence, Samuel saw a little animal, larger than a bat, fly swiftly from one branch to another.  He asked his cousins if it was not a flying squirrel.  Thomas answered, “Yes.  Several nests of them are in these trees.  If you could examine one of these squirrels closely, you would see that its wings, as they are called, are not like bird’s wings.”

“They seem more like a bat’s wings,” said Samuel.

“So they are,” replied his cousin; “only thin skins, stretched along the sides from the fore legs to the hind ones.  But these squirrels cannot fly far, nor stay long in the air, as bats can.  They merely dart swiftly from one branch to another.”

“What other kinds of squirrels are there?” asked Samuel.

“The grey squirrel,” said Thomas, “much larger than this one.  It is not often found about here.  Then the ground squirrel, that lives in the ground, instead of on the trees.  The common squirrel, such as you see running about the fences and woods; and two or three other kinds.  Some people eat squirrels; but I have never tasted one.”

The boys now heard some one screaming, and stopped to listen.  “It comes from that field,” said John; “let us run and see what is the matter.”  They did so, and soon saw that the big dog they had passed in going to the creek, had got out, and was chasing a boy.  This boy was screaming with fear; and John perceived that he was the boy who had been stoning frogs.  But the boys ran with all their might to help him, picking up such stones and sticks as lay on the ground, in their way.  When they reached the boy, he was pale with fear, for the dog was close to him.  Samuel also felt a little afraid; but he joined his two cousins in trying to beat the dog back.  The fierce animal got John’s stick in his mouth, and wrenched it out of his hand; but he kicked it in the jaws, and so kept it off with his feet, while Thomas and Samuel struck it over the head with all their might.  As to the boy, he ran as hard as he could, until he was out of sight.  Thomas’s stick now broke, but Samuel ran his down the dog’s throat, and John ran to bring a great pole which was lying a little distance off.  With this they kept the dog from biting them, until some men came running down a lane, and over into the field.  They had seen the dog run out of the farmer’s yard, and were anxious to kill it.  So they threw a rope round its neck, and dragged it away.  They said it should be shot.  The boys were very warm, and could scarcely get their breath.  They walked, therefore, to a tree which stood in the field, and sat down to get cool, and rest themselves.  Thomas said he would be glad if the dog were killed, for such an animal was not fit to keep.  “If we had each had a good stout club,” replied his brother, “he would never have run after any of us again.”