Tito 



the Dog-town. Just then two great Prairie- 

 hawks came skimming like pirates over the 

 plain. As soon as they were in sight the Prairie- 

 dogs all barked, jerking their tails at each bark, 

 and hid below. When all were gone Tito 

 walked on toward the hole of the big fat fellow 

 whose body she coveted, and dropping the 

 apple on the ground a couple of feet from the 

 rim of the crater that formed his home, she put 

 her nose down to enjoy the delicious smell of 

 Dog-fat. Even his den smelled more fragrant 

 than those of the rest. Then she went quietly 

 behind a greasewood-bush, in a lower place 

 some twenty yards away, and lay flat. After a 

 few seconds some venturesome Prairie-dog 

 looked out, and seeing nothing, gave the " all's 

 well " bark. One by one they came out, and 

 in twenty minutes the town was alive as before. 

 One of the last to come out was the fat old 

 Alderman. He always took good care of his 

 own precious self. He peered out cautiously a 

 few times, then climbed to the top of his 

 lookout. A Prairie-dog hole is shaped like a 

 funnel, going straight down. Around the top 

 of this is built a high ridge which serves as a 



312 



