"Why will it?" asked George. "The stump is rotten."
And he laid down his 'coon, and walked up and dealt the stump several lusty blows with his ax.
Suddenly two large black squirrels popped out of one of the holes near the top, and ran rapidly around the stump. Quick as thought, Frank, who was always ready, raised his gun to his shoulder, and one of the squirrels came tumbling to the ground; but, before he had time to fire the second barrel, the other ran back into the hole.
"Hit the tree again, George," exclaimed Harry, throwing down his 'coon, and bringing his gun to his shoulder.
"It's no use," said Frank; "they will not come out again, if you pound on the stump all day."
George, however, did as his brother had requested, but not a squirrel appeared.
"Let's cut the tree down," said Archie.
And, suiting the action to the word, he set manfully to work.
A few blows brought off the outside "crust," and the heart of the tree was found to be decayed, and, in a few moments, it came crashing to the ground, and was shivered into fragments by the fall.
The boys supposed that there was only one squirrel in the tree, and were running up to secure him, when, to their surprise, they discovered a number of the little animals scattering in different directions, and drawing "bee-lines" for the nearest trees.