ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



but which hang loosely, permitting the water 

 to pass through them when they pull their legs 

 back again. The young rat on the right was 

 almost abreast of the old one ; another stroke 

 and their noses were even ; meanwhile the poor 

 little fellow on the left was all alone in the rear ! 



On and on they swam. Ah ! the young rat 

 has lost ground, the old one is head and shoulders 

 in the lead. Now they dive and are lost to 

 view. The young one has gained on the old 

 one while under water and they are again even 

 in the race. They swim until they reach a bend 

 in the stream where the race ends with the 

 young rat a half head in the lead. They have 

 turned and are slowly paddling up stream. The 

 little one in the rear has taken advantage of his 

 position and turning when the old one did, leads 

 out, swimming hard against the current. Now 

 he turns, floats back to his companions and 

 with the old one in the middle the three swim 

 up stream abreast. 



As they * cut through the water with their 

 chins resting on its surface the little v-shaped 

 ripples caused by their bodies widened into 

 larger ones until the miniature waves reached 



[HO] 



