So in the winter Blacky is in the habit of flying long distances insearch of food. He often goes some miles from the thick hemlock-tree inthe Green Forest where he spends his nights. You may see him startingout early in the morning and returning late in the afternoon.
Now Blacky knew all about that river into which Bowser the Hound hadfallen. There was a certain place on that river where Jack Frost neverdid succeed in making ice. Sometimes things good to eat would be washedup along the edge of this open place. Blacky visited it regularly. Hewas on the way there now, flying low over the tree-tops.
Presently he came to a little opening among the trees. In the middle ofit was a little house, a rough little house. Blacky knew all about it.It was a sugar camp. He knew that only in the spring of the year was helikely to find anybody about there. All the rest of the year it was shutup. Every time he passed that way Blacky flew over it. Blacky's eyes arevery sharp indeed, as everybody knows. Now, as he drew near, he noticedright away that the door was partly open. It hadn't been that way thelast time he passed.
"Ho!" exclaimed Blacky. "I wonder if the wind blew that open, or ifthere is some one inside. I think I'll watch a while."
So Blacky flew to the top of a tall tree from which he could look allover the little clearing and could watch the door of the little house.
For a long time he sat there as silent as the trees themselves. Nothinghappened. He began to grow tired. Rather, he began to grow so hungrythat he became impatient. "If there is anybody in there he must beasleep," muttered Blacky to himself. "I'll see if I can wake him up.Caw, caw, ca-a-w, caw, caw!"
Blacky waited a few minutes, then repeated his cry. He did this threetimes and had just made up his mind that there was nobody inside thatlittle house when a head appeared in the doorway. Blacky was sosurprised that he nearly fell from his perch.
"As I live," he muttered, "that is Bowser the Hound! It certainly is.Now what is he doing way over here? I've never known him to go so farfrom home before."
CHAPTER VII
BLACKY THE CROW TAKES PITY ON BOWSER
Beneath a coat of ebon hue May beat a heart that's kind and true. The worst of scamps in time of need Will often do a kindly deed.
_Bowser the Hound._
"Caw, ca-a-w!" exclaimed Blacky the Crow. Bowser looked up to the top ofthe tall tree where Blacky sat, and in his great, soft eyes was such alook of friendliness that it gave Blacky a funny feeling. You knowBlacky is not used to friendly looks. He is used to quite the otherkind. Bowser came out of the old sugar house where he had spent thenight and whined softly as he looked up at Blacky, and as he whined hewagged his tail ever so slightly. Blacky didn't know what to make of it.He had never been more surprised in his life. He didn't know whichsurprised him most, finding Bowser 'way over here where he had nobusiness to be, or Bowser's friendliness.
As for Bowser, he had spent such a forlorn, miserable night, and he wasso terribly lonesome, that the very sound of Blacky's voice had givenhim a queer thrill. Never had he thought of Blacky the Crow as a friend.In fact, he never thought much about Blacky at all. Sometimes he hadchased Blacky out of Farmer Brown's corn-field early in the spring butthat is all he ever had had to do with him. Now, however, lonesome andlost as he was, the sound of a familiar voice made him tingle all overwith a friendly feeling. So he whined softly and wagged his tail feeblyas he looked up at Blacky sitting in the top of a tall tree. PresentlyBowser limped out to the middle of the little clearing and turned firstthis way and then that way. Then he sat down and howled dismally. In aninstant Blacky the Crow understood; Bowser was lost.
"So that's the trouble," muttered Blacky to himself. "That silly dog hasgot himself lost. I never will be able to understand how anybody canget lost. I never in my life was lost, and never expect to be. But it iseasy enough to see that Bowser is lost and badly lost. My goodness, howlame he is! I wonder what's happened to him. Serves him right forhunting other people, but I'm sorry for him just the same. What ahelpless creature a lost dog is, anyway. I suppose if he doesn't find ahouse pretty soon he will starve to death. Old Man Coyote wouldn't.Reddy Fox wouldn't. They would catch something to eat, no matter wherethey were. I suppose they wouldn't thank me for doing it, but just thesame I think I'll take pity on Bowser and help him out of his trouble."
CHAPTER VIII
HOW BLACKY THE CROW HELPED BOWSER
The blackest coat may cover the kindest heart.
_Bowser the Hound._
When Blacky the Crow said to himself that he guessed he would take pityon Bowser and help him out of his trouble, he knew that he could do itwithout very much trouble to himself. Perhaps if there had been verymuch trouble in it, Blacky would not have been quite so ready andwilling. Then again, perhaps it isn't fair to Blacky to think that hemight not have been willing. Even the most selfish people are sometimeskindly and unselfish.
Blacky knew just where the nearest house was. You can always trustBlacky to know not only where every house is within sight of the placeshe frequents, but all about the people who live in each house. Blackymakes it his business to know these things. He could, if he would, tellyou which houses have terrible guns in them and which have not. It is byknowing such things that Blacky manages to avoid danger.
"If that dog knows enough to follow me, I'll take him where he can atleast get something to eat," muttered Blacky. "It won't be far out of myway, anyway, because if he has any sense at all, I won't have to go allthe way over there."
So Blacky spread his black wings and disappeared over the tree-tops inthe direction of the nearest farmhouse.
Bowser watched him disappear and whined sadly, for somehow it made himfeel more lonesome than before. But for one thing he would have goneback to his bed of hay in the corner of that sugar camp. That one thingwas hunger. It seemed to Bowser that his stomach was so empty that thevery sides of it had fallen in. He just _must_ get something to eat.
So, after waiting a moment or two, Bowser turned and limped awaythrough the trees, and he limped in the direction which Blacky the Crowhad taken. You see, he could still hear Blacky's voice calling "Caw,caw, caw", and somehow it made him feel better, less lonesome, you know,to be within hearing of a voice he knew.
Bowser had to go on three legs, for one leg had been so hurt in the fallover the bank that he could not put his foot to the ground. Then, too,he was very, very stiff from the cold and the wetting he had receivedthe night before. So poor Bowser made slow work of it, and Blacky theCrow almost lost patience waiting for him to appear.
As soon as Bowser came in sight, Blacky gave what was intended for acheery caw and then headed straight for the place he had started forthat morning, giving no more thought to Bowser the Hound. You see, heknew that Bowser would shortly come to a road. "If he doesn't knowenough to follow that road, he deserves to starve," thought Blacky.
Bowser did know enough to follow that road. The instant he saw thatroad, he knew that if he kept on following it, it would lead himsomewhere. So with new hope in his heart, Bowser limped along.
CHAPTER IX
OLD MAN COYOTE GIVES OUT DARK HINTS
A little hint dropped there or here, Is like a seed in spring of year; It sprouts and grows, and none may say How big 'twill be some future day.
_Bowser the Hound._
After leading Bowser the Hound far, far away and getting him lost instrange country, Old Man Coyote trotted back to the Old Pasture, theGreen Forest, and the Green Meadows near Farmer Brown's. He didn't haveany trouble at all in finding his way back. You see, all the time he wasleading Bowser away, he himself was using his eyes and taking note ofwhere he was going. You can't lose Old Man Coyote. No, Sir, you can'tlose Old Man Coyote, and it is of no use to try.
So, stopping two or three times to hunt a little by the way, Old ManCoyote trotted back. He managed to pick up a good meal on the way, andwhen at last he reached his home in the Old Pasture he was feeling verywell satisfied with the Great World in general and himself i
nparticular.
He grinned as only Old Man Coyote can grin. "I don't think any of uswill be bothered by that meddlesome Bowser very soon again," said he, ashe crept into his house for a nap. "If he had drowned in that river, Ishouldn't have cried over it. But even as it is, I don't think he willget back here in a hurry. I must pass the word along."
So a day or so later, when Sammy Jay happened along, Old Man Coyoteasked him, in quite a matter-of-fact way, if he had seen anything ofBowser the Hound for a day or two.
"Why do you ask?" said Sammy sharply.
Old Man Coyote grinned slyly. "For no reason at all, Sammy. For noreason at all," he replied. "It just popped into my head that I hadn'theard Bowser's voice for two or three days. It set me to wondering if heis sick, or if anything has happened to him."
That was enough to start Sammy Jay straight for Farmer Brown's dooryard.Of course Bowser wasn't to be seen. Sammy hung around and watched. Twicehe saw Farmer Brown's boy come to the door with a worried look on hisface and heard him whistle and call for Bowser. Then there wasn't theslightest doubt in Sammy's mind that something had happened to Bowser.
"Old Man Coyote knows something about it, too," muttered Sammy, as heturned his head on one side and scratched his pointed cap thoughtfully."He can't fool me. That old rascal knows where Bowser is, or what hashappened to him, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he had somethingto do with it. I almost know he did from the way he grinned."
The day was not half over before all through the Green Forest and overthe Green Meadows had spread the report that Bowser the Hound was nomore.
CHAPTER X
HOW REDDY FOX INVESTIGATED
In-vest-i-gate if you would know That something is or isn't so.
_Bowser the Hound._
To in-vest-i-gate something means to try to find out about it. Reddy Foxhad heard from so many different ones about the disappearance of Bowserthat he finally made up his mind that he would in-vest-i-gate and findout for himself if it were true that Bowser was no longer at home inFarmer Brown's dooryard. If it were true,--well, Reddy had certain plansof his own in regard to Farmer Brown's henhouse.
Reddy had begun by doubting that story because it seemed to have comefirst from Old Man Coyote. Reddy would doubt anything with which Old ManCoyote was concerned. But Reddy had finally come to believe thatsomething certainly had happened because half a dozen times during theday he had heard Farmer Brown's boy whistle and whistle and call andcall.
Just as soon as the Black Shadows came creeping out from the PurpleHills, Reddy started up towards Farmer Brown's. He didn't go directlythere, because he never goes directly anywhere if there is the leastchance in the world that any one may be watching him. But as he slippedalong in the blackest of the Black Shadows, he was all the time workingnearer and nearer to Farmer Brown's dooryard. Although he was inclinedto think it was true that Bowser was not there, he was far too wise totake any unnecessary risk. He approached Farmer Brown's dooryard just ascarefully as if he knew Bowser to be in his little house as usual. Hekept in the Black Shadows. He crouched so low that he seemed hardly morethan a Black Shadow himself. Every two or three steps he stopped tolook, listen, and test the air with his keen nose.
As he drew near Bowser's own little house, Reddy circled out around ituntil he could see the doorway. Then he sat down where he could peekaround from behind a tree and watch. He had been there only a fewmoments when the back door of Farmer Brown's house opened and FarmerBrown's boy stepped out. Reddy didn't run. He knew that Farmer Brown'sboy would never dream that he would dare come so near. Besides, it wasvery clear that Farmer Brown's boy was thinking of no one but Bowser. Hewhistled and called just as he had done several times during the day.But no Bowser came, so after a while Farmer Brown's boy went back intothe house. There was a worried look on his face.
As soon as he heard the door close, Reddy trotted right out in the openand sat down only a few feet from the black doorway of Bowser's littlehouse. Reddy barked softly. Then he barked a little louder. He knew thatif Bowser were at home, that bark would bring him out if nothing elsedid. Bowser didn't appear. Reddy grinned. He was sure now that Bowserwas nowhere about. Chuckling to himself, he turned and trotted towardsFarmer Brown's henhouse.
CHAPTER XI
A LITTLE UNPLEASANTNESS
Watch a Coyote most closely when it appears that he least needs watching.
_Bowser the Hound._
Never in his life had Reddy Fox visited Farmer Brown's henhouse withquite such a comfortable feeling as he now had. He knew for a certaintythat Bowser the Hound was not at home. He knew because he had finallycrept up and peeped in the door of Bowser's little house. What hadbecome of Bowser he didn't know, and he didn't care. It was enough toknow that he wasn't about.
"I hope Farmer Brown's boy has forgotten to close that little doorwaywhere the hens run in and out," muttered Reddy, as he trotted acrossFarmer Brown's dooryard. Once he stopped, and looking up at the lightedwindows of the house, grinned. You see, with Bowser gone, Reddy wasn'tthe least bit afraid.
"If I can get into that henhouse," thought Reddy, "I certainly will haveone good feast to-night. That is, I will if those stupid hens are notroosting so high that I can't get them. I'll eat one right there."Reddy's mouth watered at the very thought. "Then I'll take one home toMrs. Reddy. If there is time we both will come back for a couple more."
So Reddy made pleasant plans as he approached Farmer Brown's henhouse.When he reached it he paused to listen to certain sounds within, certainfretful little cluckings. Reddy sat down for a minute with his tonguehanging out and the water actually dripping from it. He could shut hiseyes and see those roosts with the hens crowded together so that everyonce in a while one would be wakened and fretfully protest against beingcrowded so.
But Reddy sat there only for a minute. He was too eager to find out ifit would prove to be possible to get inside that henhouse. Runningswiftly but cautiously past the henhouse and along one side of thehenyard, he peeped around the corner to see if by any chance the yardgate had been left open. His heart gave a leap of joy as he saw that thegate was not quite closed. All he would have to do would be to push itand enter.
Reddy turned the corner quickly. Just as he put up one paw to push thegate open, a low but decidedly ugly growl made him jump back with everyhair of his coat standing on end. His first thought was of Bowser. Itmust be that Bowser had returned! Believing in safety first, Reddy didnot stop to see who had growled, but ran swiftly a short distance. Thenhe looked behind him. Over at the gate of Farmer Brown's henyard hecould see a dark form. At once Reddy knew that it wasn't Bowser theHound, for it had a bushy tail, while Bowser's was smooth. Reddy knewwho it was. It was Old Man Coyote.
OVER AT THE GATE OF FARMER BROWN'S HENYARD HE COULD SEE ADARK FORM]
CHAPTER XII
THE CLEVERNESS OF OLD MAN COYOTE
Who thinks the quickest and the best Is bound to win in every test.
_Bowser the Hound._
The meeting of Reddy Fox and Old Man Coyote just outside the gate toFarmer Brown's henyard had been wholly unexpected to both. Reddy hadbeen so eager to get inside that gate that when he turned the corner atthe henyard he hadn't looked beyond the gate. If he had looked beyond,he would have seen Old Man Coyote just coming around the other corner.As for Old Man Coyote, he had been so surprised at sight of Reddy Foxthat he had growled before he had had time to think. He was sorry thevery instant he did it.
"That certainly was a stupid thing to do," muttered Old Man Coyote tohimself, as he watched Reddy Fox run away in a panic. "I should havekept out of sight and let him open that gate and go inside first. Theremay be traps in there, for all I know. When there's likely to be danger,always let some one else find it out for you if you can." Old Man Coyotegrinned as he said this.
Reddy Fox sat down at a safe distance to watch what Old Man Coyotewould do. Inside, Reddy was fairly boiling with disappointment andanger. He felt that he hated Old Man Coyote more th
an he hated anybodyelse he knew of. He hated him, yet there wasn't a thing he could doabout it. He didn't dare fight Old Man Coyote. All he could do was tosit there at a safe distance and watch.
The gate of the henyard was open two or three inches. For a long timeOld Man Coyote stood looking through that little opening. Once or twicehe thrust his nose out and sniffed cautiously around the gate, but hetook the greatest care not to touch it. Finally he turned and trottedaway towards the Green Forest.
Reddy sat right where he was, so surprised that he couldn't even think.He waited a long time to see if Old Man Coyote would return, but Old ManCoyote didn't return, and at last Reddy cautiously crept towards thatunlocked gate. "I do believe that fellow didn't know enough to push thatgate open," muttered Reddy to himself. "I always supposed Old Man Coyotewas smart, but if this is an example of his smartness I'll match my witsagainst his any day."
All this time Old Man Coyote was not so far away as Reddy thought. Hehad gone only fat enough to make sure that Reddy couldn't see him. Then,creeping along in the blackest of the Black Shadows, he had returned toa place where he could watch Reddy.
"It's queer that gate should have been left unlocked," thought Old ManCoyote. "It may have been an accident, and again it may have been donepurposely. There may not be any danger inside; then again there may. I'mnot going to push that gate open or step inside when there is some oneto do it for me. I'll just leave it for Reddy Fox to do."