THE PRAIRIE-DOG TOWN 



sit upon his knee and bark for food or to attract 

 his attention if he were reading. Sometimes 

 they would go to sleep in his big coat pocket or 

 jump from his lap to the table and take food 

 from his plate, especially carrots or potatoes, as 

 they were very partial to these two vegetables 

 either raw or cooked. They would hold the 

 food in their paws, sit bolt upright and watch 

 him curiously while they ate it. In this way 

 they helped Sam to while away the long winter 

 months, when, for days at a time, he was unable 

 to leave the house because of the severe weather. 

 In the following spring they dug a home for 

 themselves back of his dugout and raised their 

 own little family. Prairie-dogs have from three 

 to four little ones in a litter and often there are 

 three litters in a year. 



The settlement of the plains by the white 

 man was both a protection and a benefit to these 

 little vegetable consumers. His coming killed 

 off their four-footed enemies and they increased 

 in numbers until they themselves became a nui- 

 sance, destroying hay-land and putting horses 

 and cattle in danger of breaking their legs by 

 stumbling into their deserted burrows. Man 



[63] 



