80 



OUR BACKDOOR NEIGHBORS 



and had set an innocent-looking trap beside his 

 path. The dead rabbit had a large family of 

 relatives living in the wood, and if he was 

 missed from among them there was no sign. 



A polecat cautiously peered around the corner. 



They still came out to play at nightfall, chas- 

 ing each other back and forth in front of the 

 Naturalist's window, and dining in his garden, 

 much to the dismay of his good wife, for the 

 shrubbery, as well as vegetables, often suffered 

 as a result. 



On closer acquaintance the Naturalist found 

 that the polecat often came out by day, though 

 his usual hours were after sundown. The Na- 

 turalist also began to go out by night, when the 



