124 THE ROMANCE OF EVERIFARM 



but at the same time the atmospheric conditions 

 would be more conducive to the comfort of the 

 traveler. 



As Billy plodded comfortably along through the 

 corn stalks and weeds over to Farmer Careless's bam 

 yard, where he was in search of a tender chicken, 

 Cockle Burr kept reaching for anything that would 

 assist in releasing him, but he was unable to make 

 his escape until he reached the old rail fence at the 

 rear of the bam lot. Just as Billy came through a 

 crack in the fence where the pigs were accustomed 

 to wander from the barn lot to the corn field, Shep 

 the collie dog came around the barn and, detecting 

 the intruder by the odor that permeated the evening 

 air, made a rush for him, catching him just as he at- 

 tempted to regain the other side of the fence. 



"If I live a thousand years I'll never forget 

 that fight," said Cockle Burr to a friend one day, 

 when they were floating down the tile ditch where 

 he was to find himself later on. 



"When Billy Skunk saw Shep coming at him, he 

 surely got his masked batteries into action mighty 

 quick, but Shep must have been an old hand at deal- 

 ing with this kind of a customer. He never stopped, 

 but soon had Billy by the neck. In the shaking and 

 fighting I was grabbing at everything on Shep that 



