And just then the gray animal fell out of the tree, landing on a pile of
leaves at the very feet of the children.

With barks and howls the two dogs made a dive for it. I do not really
believe they meant to bite it--they just wanted to see what it was. But
Bunny was too quick for them.

With a sudden motion he caught up the gray animal and held it close to
him. At the same time he shouted:

"Down, Splash! Down, Dix! Don't dare try to get this poor little
squirrel. One of you has hurt its leg anyhow--that's why it fell out of
the tree."

"Oh, Bunny! Is it really and truly a squirrel?" asked Sue, excitedly.

"That's what it is," said her brother. "It's a big gray squirrel. It
does look something like a cat, but its tail is bigger than a cat's
except when a cat is being chased by a dog."

"I saw the big tail," explained Sue, "and that's why I thought maybe it
was a cat. A cat's tail always swells up like a long balloon whenever it
sees a dog. But is the squirrel hurt, Bunny?"

"I guess Dix must have bit it a little on one leg," said the boy, as he
looked at the gray animal which did not try to get away or bite. "That's
why it couldn't go up any higher in the tree or hold fast any longer.
Its leg is hurt. I'm going to take it to Uncle Tad. He knows how to fix
hurt animals."