These are the motive thoughts behind my woodland novel. I hope I have presented them convincingly; if not, I hope at least you have been entertained by the romance.

CONTENTS

ChapterPage
I.The Foundling[1]
II.His Kittenhood[9]
III.The Red Horror[15]
IV.The New and Lonely Life[19]
V.The Fluffing of His Tail[25]
VI.The First Nut Crop[31]
VII.The Sun Song of Bannertail[39]
VIII.The Cold Sleep[49]
IX.The Balking of Fire-eyes[57]
X.Redsquirrel, the Scold of the Woods[65]
XI.Bannertail and the Echo Voice[71]
XII.The Courting of Silvergray[77]
XIII.The Home in the High Hickory[85]
XIV.New Rivals[91]
XV.Bachelor Life Again[97]
XVI.The Warden Meets an Invader[103]
XVII.The Hoodoo on the Home[109]
XVIII.The New Home[117]
XIX.The Moving of the Young[125]
XX.The Coming-out Party[135]
XXI.Nursery Days of the Young Ones[141]
XXII.Cray Hunts for Trouble[147]
XXIII.The Little Squirrels Go to School[151]
XXIV.The Lopping of the Wayward Branch[157]
XXV.Bannertail Falls into a Snare[163]
XXVI.The Addict[173]
XXVII.The Dregs of the Cup[181]
XXVIII.The Way of Destruction[185]
XXIX.Mother Carey's Lash[191]
XXX.His Awakening[199]
XXXI.The Unwritten Law[205]
XXXII.Squirrel Games[213]
XXXIII.When Bannertail Was Scarred for Life[221]
XXXIV.The Fight with the Black Demon[229]
XXXV.The Property Law among Animals[243]
XXXVI.Gathering the Great Nut Harvest[251]
XXXVII.And To-day[261]

ILLUSTRATIONS

Facing Page
His kittenhood[12]
Baffling Fire-eyes[60]
They twiddled whiskers good night[82]
With an angry "Quare!" Silvergray scrambled up again[130]
The little squirrels at school[154]
Cray sank—a victim to his folly[160]
A dangerous game[226]
The battle with the Blacksnake[238]