e wide, wide world."

"Not even to drive off Old Man Coyote?" asked Blacky slyly, for he knew
that more than once Bowser the Hound had helped Reddy out of trouble
with Old Man Coyote.

Reddy pretended not to hear this. "I don't believe you saw Bowser,"
said he. "I don't believe anybody will ever see Bowser again. I hope
not, anyway." And Blacky knew by the way Reddy said this that it would
be quite useless to ask Reddy to help get Bowser home.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE ARTFULNESS OF BLACKY

Who runs in circles never gets far.

_Bowser the Hound._

To be artful is to be very clever. It is to do things in a way so clever
that people will not see what you are really doing. No one can be more
artful than Blacky the Crow when he sets out to be.

Blacky was smart enough not to let Reddy know that he was seeking
Reddy's help for Bowser. He soon found out that Reddy would not
knowingly help the least little bit, so he decided at once that the
only thing for him to do was to get Reddy to help unsuspectingly. He
changed the subject very abruptly.

"How are the chickens at Farmer Brown's?" inquired he.

Reddy looked up and grinned. "They seem to be in just as good health as
ever," said he, "so far as I can judge. Farmer Brown's boy seems to be
terribly suspicious. He locks them up at night so tight that not even
Shadow the Weasel could get his nose inside that henhouse."

Blacky's eyes twinkled, but he took care that Reddy should not see them.
"Farmer Brown's boy is different from some folks I know," said he.

"How's that?" demanded Reddy Fox.

"Why," replied Blacky, "there is a certain farmyard I know of where the
hens are not kept shut up at all in the daytime, but run around where
they please. I see them every day when I am flying over. They certainly
are fine-looking hens. I don't think I've ever seen fatter ones. Some of
them are so fat they can hardly run."

As Reddy Fox listened, a look of eagerness crept into his eyes, and his
mouth began to water. He just couldn't help it. "Where did you say those
hens are?" he asked, trying to speak carelessly.

"I didn't say," replied Blacky, turning his head aside to hide a grin.
"It is a long way from here, Reddy, so I don't believe you would really
be interested."

"That all depends," replied Reddy. "I would go a long way if it were
worth while. I don't suppose you noticed if there were any dogs about
where those hens are?"

Blacky pretended not to hea