ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



he was watching with pleasure and pride. An 

 orchard was a luxury at that time not known 

 on the western plains. He noticed the trees 

 were drooping but did not guess the true cause 

 until a heavy wind had laid them all flat on the 

 ground. From that time he worked with a 

 vengeance to destroy the lives of the once harm- 

 less and useful little animals. 



There is an old Indian legend concerning the 

 gophers that runs as follows: "Bright-Moon 

 was an old Indian medicine-man. He tramped 

 the prairie over in search of herbs and roots to 

 use in those great remedies that drove the evil 

 spirits of disease from his chosen people. Long 

 he had hunted for some roots that were highly 

 prized by his ancestors. At last when he was 

 gray, wrinkled and bent with age he found the 

 long sought roots on a hillside where two gophers 

 had their home. The gophers had beautiful, 

 large bright eyes and lived much in the sun- 

 shine. The roots so highly prized by Bright- 

 Moon the gophers seemed to delight in de- 

 stroying. Those they could not eat they cut 

 up and stored away. Bright-Moon remon- 

 strated with them. He told them the roots 



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