The Kangaroo Rat 



nose into a solid bank of sand that was the end 

 of the gallery he had entered by. Since we 

 were all playing " fairy-tale," I, the Giant, did 

 not hesitate to put the Dragon where he could 

 harm the fairies no longer. 



After hours of patient digging and measuring 

 I got a map of the underground world where 

 the Perodipus passes the daytime. 



The central chamber could be nearly reached 

 by any of the entrances, but one not knowing 

 the secret would have passed by and come 

 out into the air again at another door. No 

 matter how often he went in, he never would 

 have found the nest or any of the real treasure 

 of the home, for the road to the nest was plugged 

 with earth each time the owner left it. 



And this is exactly what happened to the 

 Huajalote ; for he seemed to have an idea that 

 there was a secret passage if he only could find it, 

 and no doubt thought it was somewhere through 

 the bank of earth he was boring into, though 

 really he was not anywhere near to the spot. 



I think the chamber was not shut off from 

 the air, for the small round hole X (see page 

 243) was, I suspect, its air-shaft, though I am 



247 ^... 



4j 



