fragrant than those of the rest. Then she went quietly behind a
greasewood bush, in a lower place some twenty yards away, and lay flat.
After a few seconds some venturesome Prairie-dog looked out, and seeing
nothing, gave the "all's well" bark. One by one they came out, and in
twenty minutes the town was alive as before. One of the last to come out
was the fat old Alderman. He always took good care of his own precious
self. He peered out cautiously a few times, then climbed to the top of
his look-out. A Prairie-dog hole is shaped like a funnel, going straight
down. Around the top of this is built a high ridge which serves as a
look-out, and also makes sure that, no matter how they may slip in their
hurry, they are certain to drop into the funnel and be swallowed up by
the all-protecting earth. On the outside the ground slopes away gently
from the funnel. Now, when the Alderman saw that strange round thing at
his threshold he was afraid. Second inspection led him to believe that
it was not dangerous, but was probably interesting. He went cautiously
toward it, smelled it, and tried to nibble it; but the apple rolled
away, for it was round, and the ground was smooth as well as sloping.
The Prairie-dog followed and gave it a nip which satisfied him that the
strange object would make good eating. But each time he nibbled, it
rolled farther away. The coast seemed clear, all the other Prairie-dogs
were out, so the fat Alderman did not hesitate to follow up the dodging,
shifting apple.

This way and that it wriggled, and he followed. Of course it worked
toward the low place where grew the greasewood bush. The little tastes
of apple that he got only whetted his appetite. The Alderman was more
and more interested. Foot by foot he was led from his hole toward that
old, familiar bush and had no thought of anything but the joy of eating.
And Tito curled herself and braced her sinewy legs, and measured the
distance between, until it dwindled to not more than three good jumps;