rooting many plants. He really doesn't mean to do it, but we
have to catch him just the same."

"Oh, I'd like to see a blind mole," said Mab.

"I can't show you one just now," spoke Mr. Porter, "but I can show you how
they dig underground, and the damage they do to lawns and gardens. Maybe,
if your dog Roly will keep out of my mole trap, I can catch one of the
creatures and show you how it looks. Come down here."

Mr. Porter led the way to that part of the garden where Roly had been
caught by his little tail. On the ground, among the rows of beans,
sometimes going right under them and spoiling the roots, was a long ridge
of dirt, in a sort of wavy line. With his fingers Daddy Blake tore up some
of the earth, and opened a regular little tunnel under ground.

"The mole," said Daddy Blake, "tunnels, or digs, his way in the dark,
underground, to find grubs and worms which he eats. He had two front
claws, very strong, just purposely made for digging, and you would be
surprised to see how soon a mole can dig himself underground, even if you
put him on top of a hard, dirt road.

"It is when the blind mole tunnels along, smelling here and there for
grubs and worms, that he uproots the plants and for that reason we have to
catch him. There are some traps that have sharp points which go down
through the ground with a strong spring to push them, whenever a digging
mole gets too near. But the trap Mr. Porter set was a spring trap without
any sharp points to it, which he thought might catch a mole alive. Instead
it caught Roly, who was digging away to find a buried bone, maybe."

"Is he all right now?" asked Mab.

"Yes, his tail was only pinched a little but Roly's tail is very tender I
guess, for he howled very loudly."

"I wish I could see a mole," said Hal.

"So do I," echoed his sister.

But all they could see was the place where the mole had dug. And perhaps
you may see, in your garden or on your lawn, a little raised ridge, or
long, low hill of dirt, some morning. If you poke your finger, or a stick,
down in it you will find that underneath it is hollow.

This is a place where a mole has dug his tunnel in the night to get things
to eat. Moles dig deep down, too, under the surface where no one can see
them, and when they do not uproot the grass or the garden plants, they do
little harm. It is only when they come near the top that you can see the
ridge they make.

Sometimes cats catch moles when they come out on top