th that he just
had to stop for a rest. But he couldn't rest much. He was too terribly
frightened. He shivered and shook while he got his breath, and never for
a second did he take his eyes from his back trail. Presently he saw a
slim white form darting along the snow straight towards the tree in
which he was resting. Once more Happy Jack ran, and somehow he felt
terribly helpless and hopeless.

He had to rest oftener now, and each rest was shorter than the one
before, because, you know, Shadow was a less and less distance behind.
Poor Happy Jack! He had tried every trick he knew, and not one of them
had fooled Shadow the Weasel. Now he was too tired to run much farther.
The last little bit of hope left Happy Jack's heart. He blinked his eyes
very fast to keep back the tears, as he thought that this was probably
the last time he would ever look at the beautiful Green Forest he loved
so. Then he gritted his teeth and made up his mind that anyway he would
fight his best, even if it was hopeless. It was just at that very minute
that he heard the voice of Tommy Tit the Chickadee calling to him in
great excitement, and somehow, he didn't know why, a wee bit of hope
sprang up in his heart.

CHAPTER XV

WHO SAVED HAPPY JACK SQUIRREL?

Blessed he whose words of cheer
Help put hope in place of fear.

_Happy Jack._

It never has been fully decided among the little people of the Green
Forest and the Green Meadows just who really did save Happy Jack
Squirrel. Some say that Tommy Tit the Chickadee deserves all the credit,
and some say that--but wait. Let me tell you just what happened, and
then perhaps you can decide for yourself who saved Happy Jack.

You see, it was this way: Happy Jack had run and run and run and tried
every trick he knew to get away from Shadow the Weasel, but all in vain.
At last he was so out of breath and so tired that he felt that he
couldn't run any more. He had just made up his mind that he would wait
right where he was for Shadow and then put up the best fight he could,
even if it was hopeless, when he heard Tommy Tit calling to him in great
excitement.

[Illustration: HAPPY JACK TRIED EVERY TRICK HE KNEW TO GET AWAY FROM
SHADOW THE WEASEL.]

"Dee, dee, chickadee! Come here quick, Happy Jack! Come here quick!"
called Tommy Tit.

A wee bit of hope sprang up in Happy Jack's heart. He couldn't imagine
what possible help Tommy Tit could be, but he would go see. So taking
a l