The squirrels had gathered upon that side; and
now, instead of running up and down the trunks, as before, they all
stood upon the topmost branches apparently watching the motions of the
log.

"`Poor little creatures!' said Mary, `they will be unable to reach it,
after all. What a pity!'

"Just as she made this reflection, the log floated forward to the point
where it was likely to be nearest to the clump in passing. A long
branch stretched out in that direction; but, as we calculated, the
driftwood was not likely to pass nearer than twenty yards. On this
branch, however, the squirrels had now gathered, one behind the other in
a long string, and we could see the foremost of them straining himself
as if to spring.

"`Surely, they do not intend,--surely, they cannot leap so far!' said
Mary, as we all stood holding our breath, and watching them with intense
curiosity.

"`Yes, Missa,' replied Cudjo; `de do intend. Gosh! de leap him, too.
Dis nigga see 'em in Vaginny leap far furrer. Looky now! Yonder de
go--wap!'

"As Cudjo spoke, the foremost squirrel launched out into the air, and
the next moment pounced down upon the log. Then another followed, and
another, and another, looking like so many birds flying through the air
in a string, until the log was covered with the little creatures, and
floated off with its cargo!

"We supposed that they had all succeeded in getting off, but in this we
were mistaken. On looking up to the trees again, we saw that there was
still one remaining. He appeared not to have got out upon the
projecting branch in time,--for the weight of each of those that
preceded him, coming down upon the log had pushed it so far off, that he
became, no doubt, afraid to venture taking such a long leap. He was now
running to and fro, apparently in a frantic state--both on account of
his inability to escape, and his being thus left alone. For some time
he kept springing from tree to tree, running down the trunks of all to
the very edge of the water, and stopping now and again to look
hopelessly after his companions.

"At length, we saw him descend a tree, whose bark was exceedingly
rough--in fact, crisped outward in great broad pieces, or scales of a
foot long, and several inches broad, that looked as though they were
about to fall from the tree. For this reason, the tree is known among
backwoodsmen as the `scaly bark.' Having descended this tree, nearly to
the point where it rose above the