quirrel by the very means
that he was taking to decide whether he had got one.

Phonny was aware of this danger, and so he was very careful. He raised
the lid but very little, and looked under with the utmost caution. He
saw two little round and very brilliant eyes peeping out at him.

"Yes, Wallace," said he. "Yes, yes, here he is. I see his eyes."

Wallace sat very composedly upon his horse, holding Phonny's bridle,
while Phonny was uttering these exclamations, without appearing to
share the enthusiasm which Phonny felt, at all.

"He is here, Wallace," said Phonny. "He is, truly."

"I do not doubt it," said Wallace, "but what are we to do about it?"

"Why--why--what would you do?" asked Phonny.

"I suppose that the best thing that we could do," said Wallace, "is to
ride along."

"And leave the squirrel?" said Phonny, in a tone of surprise.

"Yes," said Wallace. "I don't see any thing else that we can do."

"Why, he will gnaw out," said Phonny. "He will gnaw out in half an
hour. He has gnawed half through the board already. Espy ought to have
tinned his trap." So saying, Phonny stooped down and peeped into the
trap again, through the crack under the lid.

"Who is Espy?" asked Wallace.

"Espy Ransom," said Phonny. "He lives down by the mill. He is always
setting traps for squirrels. I suppose that this road goes down to the
mill, and that he came up here and set his trap. But it won't do to
leave the squirrel here," continued Phonny, looking at Wallace in a
very earnest manner. "It never will do in the world."

"What shall we do, then?" asked Wallace.

"Couldn't we carry him down to Espy?" said Phonny.

"I don't think that we have any right to carry him away. It is not our
squirrel, and it may be that it is not Espy's."

Phonny seemed perplexed. After a moment's pause he added, "Couldn't we
go down and tell Espy that there is a squirrel in his trap?"

"Yes," said Wallace, "that we can do."

Phonny stooped down and peeped into the trap again.

"The rogue," said he. "The moment that I am gone, he will go to
gnawing again, I suppose, and so get out and run away. What a little
fool he is."

"Do you think he is a fool for trying to gnaw out of that trap?" asked
Wallace.

"Why no,"--said Phonny, "but I wish he wouldn't do it. We will go down
quick and tell Espy."

So Phonny came back to the place where Wallace had remained in the
road, holding the horses. Phonny let down the bars, and Wallace went