“A little squirrel,” he answered.
“Where did you get it?” asked another girl.
“I caught it in a trap in the woods, Sallie,” the boy answered.
[“Oh, how cruel, to catch a poor little squirrel in a trap!” exclaimed the first little girl.]
“Oh, I didn’t hurt it,” said Bob. “And, when it gets tame I’m going to teach it some tricks.”
“Are you going to put the squirrel in a cage with a wheel?” asked the girl whose name was Mollie.
“Yes, as soon as papa gets me that kind of a cage,” the boy said. “But, until then, I’ll let it stay in a box.”
“I hope it doesn’t get away like Squinty, your pig, did,” spoke Sallie.
“Oh, no, I won’t let the squirrel get away,” said the boy.
“Ha!” thought Slicko. “Squinty the pig! I wonder if this is the boy who made a pet of Squinty. If it is the same one, I am sure he will be kind to me.”