Peter Rabbit stopped short. Indeed, he stopped so short that he
almost turned a somersault. "Say," he panted, "I've just seen
Farmer Brown's boy."

"You don't say so!" said Jimmy Skunk, pretending to be very much
surprised. "You don't say so! Why, now I think of it, I believe
I've seen Farmer Brown's boy a few times myself."

Peter Rabbit made a good-natured face at Jimmy Skunk, and then he
told all about how he had seen Farmer Brown's boy with gun and
spade and Bowser the Hound going down the Lone Little Path. "You
know there isn't any garden down that way," he concluded.

Bobby Coon's face wore a sober look. Yes, Sir, all the fun was
gone from Bobby Coon's face.

"What's the matter?" asked Jimmy Skunk.

"I was just thinking that Reddy Fox lives over in that direction
and he is so stiff that he cannot run," replied Bobby Coon.

Jimmy Skunk hitched up his trousers and started toward the Lone
Little Path. "Come on!" said he. "Let's follow him and see what
he is about."

Bobby Coon followed at once, but Peter Rabbit said he would hurry
over and get Johnny Chuck and then join the others.

All this time Farmer Brown's boy had been hurrying down the Lone
Little Path to the home old Granny Fox and Reddy Fox had moved