Bowser the Hound | Page 8

boy was thinking
of no one but Bowser. He whistled 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 into the house. There was a worried
look on his face.
As soon as he heard the door close, Reddy trotted right out in the open
and sat down only a few feet from the black doorway of Bowser's little
house. Reddy barked softly. Then he barked a little louder. He knew
that if Bowser were at home, that bark would bring him out if nothing
else did. Bowser didn't appear. Reddy grinned. He was sure now that
Bowser was nowhere about. Chuckling to himself, he turned and trotted
towards Farmer 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 with
quite such a comfortable feeling as he now had. He knew for a certainty
that Bowser the Hound was not at home. He knew because he had
finally crept up and peeped in the door of Bowser's little house. What
had become of Bowser he didn't know, and he didn't care. It was
enough to know that he wasn't about.
"I hope Farmer Brown's boy has forgotten to close that little doorway
where the hens run in and out," muttered Reddy, as he trotted across
Farmer Brown's dooryard. Once he stopped, and looking up at the
lighted windows of the house, grinned. You see, with Bowser gone,
Reddy wasn't the least bit afraid.
"If I can get into that henhouse," thought Reddy, "I certainly will have
one good feast to-night. That is, I will if those stupid hens are not
roosting 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 to Mrs.
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, certain fretful little cluckings. Reddy sat down for a minute
with his tongue hanging out and the water actually dripping from it. He
could shut his eyes and see those roosts with the hens crowded together
so that every once in a while one would be wakened and fretfully
protest against being crowded so.
But Reddy sat there only for a minute. He was too eager to find out if it
would prove to be possible to get inside that henhouse. Running swiftly
but cautiously past the henhouse and along one side of the henyard, he
peeped around the corner to see if by any chance the yard gate had been
left open. His heart gave a leap of joy as he saw that the gate was not
quite closed. All he would have to do would be to push it and enter.
Reddy turned the corner quickly. Just as he put up one paw to push the
gate open, a low but decidedly ugly growl made him jump back with
every hair of his coat standing on end. His first thought was of Bowser.
It must be that Bowser had returned! Believing in safety first, Reddy
did not stop to see who had growled, but ran swiftly a short distance.
Then he looked behind him. Over at the gate of Farmer Brown's
henyard he could see a dark form. At once Reddy knew that it wasn't
Bowser the Hound, for it had a bushy tail, while Bowser's was smooth.
Reddy knew who it was. It was Old Man Coyote.
[Illustration: OVER AT THE GATE OF FARMER BROWN'S
HENYARD HE COULD SEE A DARK 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 to
Farmer Brown's henyard had been wholly unexpected to both. Reddy

had been so eager to get inside that gate that when he turned the corner
at the 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 Fox that he had growled before he had had time to think. He
was sorry the very instant he did it.
"That certainly was a stupid thing to do," muttered Old Man Coyote to
himself, as he watched Reddy Fox run away in a panic. "I should have
kept out of sight and let him open that gate