SCOTT THE WISE WOOD RATS 269 



to the soil. But every night or two the gray builders would add 

 a few twigs of sage or a spray of lemonade berry or a piece of tin 

 or paper or bottle picked up in the canyon. So for years the 

 house had grown at the top and wasted away at the bottom. 

 But year in and out, at every season the center of the house was 

 soft, dry and cozy. 



The city had grown up around the wood rats but as their 

 fathers and mothers had lived there for a long time they did not 

 like to move. It was true the house cats often gave them a scare. 

 But many of their wild enemies such as bobcat and coyote were 

 frightened away by the houses of men along the top of the canyon. 

 So they remained where they were until — 



It was July. Mr. and Mrs. Wood Rat's children were grown 

 and had gone to shift for themselves and the old folks were sitting 

 in their nest room munching dried elderberries. Mrs Wood Rat 

 had been nervous all day. Suddenly she said, "We will have to 

 move. Those bad boys who came today and poked sticks into 

 our house will come again. We shallhaveno peace here any more". 



"They can't push our house over. It is built through the 

 sumac's limbs", said Mr. Wood Rat confidently. 



"They might set fire to it or get their dog to bite into it. I 

 heard their dog barking yesterday. Besides a sharp stick may go 

 through one of us some day. It's no use — we had better move." 



"All right", agreed Mr. Wood Rat, "where shall we go?" 



"On the other side of the canyon is a big clump of cactus. 

 You know we have often gone there for a drink in dry years. 

 We will build among the cactus". 



"But Mr. Skunk lives there", objected Mr. Wood Rat. 



"I think he has gone," answered Mrs. Wood Rat. "I haven't 

 smelled him about for some time.". 



"Well, when shall we move?", asked Mr. Wood Rat. 



"Tonight", said Mrs. Wood Rat decisively. 



So saying, Mrs. Wood Rat started off along one of the trails 

 that they had made through the years with their dainty pink feet 

 on many a nightly errand. Mr. Wood Rat followed. They had 

 gone but a few feet when "crash" — through the sage bush jumped 

 a huge black cat. With a quick side jumj) Mrs. Wood 

 Rat barely escaped. She scurried on and soon readied tlie cactus. 

 She waited quivering from tail to vSensitivc wliiskcrs. Soon Mr. 

 Wood Rat slipped to her side. 



