over the window.

Stuyvesant did not say a word, but pointed to the place. Phonny looked
up and saw the squirrel.

[Illustration: FRINK ON THE BEAM.]

"Oo--oo--oo!--" said Phonny.

"Shut the window," he exclaimed. "Let us shut the window quick," he
added impatiently; and then creeping softly up to the place, he took
hold of the prop which held the shutter up, and gently drawing it in,
he let the shutter down into its place.

"Shut the other window," said Phonny. "Climb up on the bench, Stivy,
and shut the other window as quick as you can."

Stuyvesant clambered up upon the bench and shut down the sash of the
window.

"Now for the door," said Phonny; and he ran to the door and shut it,
looking round as he went, toward the squirrel. As soon as he got the
door shut he seemed relieved.

"There," said he, "we have got him safe. The only thing now is to
catch him."

Here followed quite a long consultation between the two boys, in
respect to the course which it was now best to pursue. Phonny's
first plan was to put the trap upon the table and then for him and
Stuyvesant to drive the squirrel into it. Stuyvesant however thought
that that would be a very difficult operation.

"If the squirrel were a horse," said he, "and the trap a barn, we
might possibly get him in; but as it is, I don't believe the thing can
be done."

Phonny next proposed to chase the squirrel round the shop until they
caught him. Stuyvesant objected to this too.

"We should frighten him," said he, "and make him very wild; and
besides we might hurt him dreadfully in catching and holding him. Very
likely we should pull his tail off."

After considerable consultation, the boys concluded to let the
squirrel remain for a time at liberty in the shop, taking care to keep
the door and windows shut. They thought that by this means he would
become accustomed to see them working about, and would grow tame;
perhaps so tame that by-and-by, Phonny might catch him in his hand.

"And then, besides," said Phonny, "we can set the trap for him here
to-night, when we go away, and perhaps he will go into it, and get
caught so before morning."

"Then we mustn't feed him any this afternoon," said Stuyvesant. "He
won't go into the trap to-night, unless he is hungry."

"Well," said Phonny, "we won't feed him. I will leave him to himself,
and let him do what he pleases, and I'll go to work and make my cage."

Phonny's plan for his cage was this. Stuyvesant help