ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



picking up the one in the path, one of the dogs 

 watched the stranger while another pulled the 

 body of his dead comrade into the hole beyond 

 the reach of the hunter. It is very difficult to 

 secure a prairie-dog even if you hit it, for they 

 either wriggle into their holes before death or 

 are pulled in by one of their companions after- 

 wards. The usually successful way is to lie 

 concealed and wait until one leaves his hillock, 

 then if hit it is possible to secure him. 



Sam was both grieved and angry at the 

 stranger for he had become very much attached 

 to the little brutes and felt it a personal injury 

 to have one of them molested. The farmer 

 told him of a sick wife and child and that he 

 had been tramping all day in hope of finding 

 nourishing food. Sam helped him in the true, 

 generous, western spirit and the seeming injury 

 was forgotten. 



One cold wet day Sam found a couple of 

 young dogs away from their burrow in search 

 of food ; they were hungry and numb with cold. 

 He put them underneath his coat and carried 

 them home. Under his tender care they re- 

 vived and grew very tame and fat ; they would 

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