e sneaking back right around here.
And still," Doctor Rabbit said hopefully, "Yappy _may_ get him. I'll
just wait for a time and see what does happen."

Several times as Doctor Rabbit sat there he heard a noise in the
bushes near by and each time he looked quickly in that direction. But
it must have been the wind blowing the leaves, for he did not see
anything.

Once, however, Doctor Rabbit was really startled. A big woodrat ran
through some dead leaves and made a good deal of noise. He stopped and
looked at Doctor Rabbit and asked, "Are you waiting for some one?"

"Yes," Doctor Rabbit replied, "I'm waiting for Brushtail the Fox; I'm
expecting him any time."

"Brushtail the Fox!" exclaimed the Woodrat. "Well, _I'm_ not going to
wait for him!" And he hurried away as fast as he could.

Then Doctor Rabbit heard another noise. Some creature was creeping
through the bushes not far off. He was coming nearer, too.

THE BIG GRAY GOOSE GETS AWAY

Doctor Rabbit sat on the trunk of the fallen tree and never moved a
muscle as he listened to the animal creeping through the thicket.
Every now and then it would stop, and there was not a sound; then it
would move again, and all the time it kept coming nearer and nearer.

Doctor Rabbit has a way of twitching his nose most of the time, but as
he sat there he did not even move his nose. No, sir! He was as still
as the tree trunk on which he sat. He kept his eyes right on the place
from which the sounds of the creeping animal came.

And then his heart gave a thump and beat very fast--for out of the
thicket came old Brushtail himself! He looked all about carefully, and
then sat down panting, tired out from his long run.

But after he was somewhat rested, Brushtail got up and grinned. He
looked out in the woods in the direction where Yappy and the other
hound were still running and barking.

"Ha! ha! ha!" Brushtail chuckled softly. "They've lost my trail. I
knew they would when I walked down the Murmuring Brook. Well," he
continued, "I'll just look around a bit for something to eat. Perhaps
I can find that big fat rabbit."

It happened that Brushtail started right for the fallen tree where
Doctor Rabbit sat, and Doctor Rabbit was just about to spring off and
run when something else happened. Farmer Roe's big gray goose came
near. She was eating some tender green grass blades and never dreamed
that a fox was near. But Brushtail saw her and started creeping toward
her.