After trying in vain on all sides to escape, by forcing his way, and finding that the box is too strong for him in every part, he finally concludes to gnaw out. He accordingly selects the part of the box where there is the widest crack, and where consequently the brightest light shines through. He selects this place, partly because he supposes that the box is thinnest there, and partly because he likes to work in the light.[A] [Footnote A: To prevent the squirrels that are caught from gnawing out, the boys sometimes line the inside of their traps with tin.] There was a squirrel in the trap which Phonny had found. It was a large and handsome gray squirrel. He had been taken that morning. About an hour after the trap sprung upon him, he had begun to gnaw out, and he had got about half through the boards in the corner when Phonny found him. When Phonny shook the trap the squirrel clung to the bottom of it by his claws, so that Phonny did not shake him about much. When Phonny had put the trap upon the great stone, he thought that he would lift up the lid a little way, and peep in. This is a very dangerous operation, for a squirrel will squeeze out through a very small aperture, and many a boy has lost a squirrel by the very means that he was taking to decide whether he had got one. Phonny was aware of this danger, and so he was very careful. He raised the lid but very little, and looked under with the utmost caution. He saw two little round and very brilliant eyes peeping out at him. "Yes, Wallace," said he. "Yes, yes, here he is. I see his eyes." Wallace sat very composedly upon his horse, holding Phonny's bridle, while Phonny was uttering these exclamations, without appearing to share the enthusiasm which Phonny felt, at all. "He is here, Wallace," said Phonny. "He is, truly." "I do not doubt it," said Wallace, "but what are we to do about it?" "Why--why--what would you do?" asked Phonny. "I suppose that the best thing that we could do," said Wallace, "is to ride along." "And leave the squirrel?" said Phonny, in a tone of surprise. "Yes," said Wallace. "I don't see any thing else that we can do." "Why, he will gnaw out," said Phonny. "He will gnaw out in half an hour. He has gnawed half through the board already. Espy ought to have tinned his trap." So saying, Phonny stooped down and peeped into the trap again, through the crack under the lid. "Who is Espy?" asked Wallace. "Espy Ransom," said Phonny. "He lives down by the mill. He is always setting traps for squirrels. I suppose that this road goes down to the mill, and that he came up here and set his trap. But it won't do to leave the squirrel here," continued Phonny, looking at Wallace in a very earnest manner. "It never will do in the world." "What shall we do, then?" asked Wallace. "Couldn't we carry him down to Espy?" said Phonny. "I don't think that we have any right to carry him away. It is not our squirrel, and it may be that it is not Espy's."