first, and it had popped into Jimmy's head that there
might, there just might, happen to be a trap inside that hole. If there
was, he much preferred that Unc' Billy should be the one to find it out.
Yes, Sir, that is why Jimmy Skunk was so very polite.

Unc' Billy wanted Jimmy to go first because he always feels safer behind
Jimmy than in front of him. He has great respect for that little bag of
scent that Jimmy carries, and he knows that when Jimmy makes use of it,
he always throws it in front and never behind him. Jimmy seldom uses it,
but sometimes he does if he happens to be startled and thinks danger
near. So Unc' Billy preferred that Jimmy should go first. It wasn't
politeness at all on the part of Unc' Billy. In both cases it was a kind
of selfishness. Each was thinking of self.

How long they would have continued to argue and try to appear polite if
something hadn't happened, nobody knows. But something did happen. There
was a sudden loud sniff just around the corner of the henhouse. It was
from Bowser the Hound. Right then and there Unc' Billy Possum and Jimmy
Skunk forgot all about politeness, and both tried to get through that
hole at the same time. They couldn't, because it wasn't big enough, but,
they tried hard. Bowser sniffed again, and this time Unc' Billy managed
to squeeze Jimmy aside and slip through. Jimmy was right at his heels.

XVII

JIMMY SKUNK GETS A BUMP

Hardly had Jimmy Skunk entered the hole under Farmer Brown's henhouse,
following close on the heels of Unc' Billy Possum, than along came
Bowser the Hound, sniffing and sniffing in a way that made Unc' Billy
nervous. When Bowser reached that hole, of course he smelled the tracks
of Unc' Billy and Jimmy, and right away he became excited. He began to
dig. Goodness, how he did make the dirt fly! All the time he whined with
eagerness.

Unc' Billy wasted no time in squeezing through a hole in the floor way
over in one corner, a hole that Farmer Brown's boy had intended to nail
a board over long before. Unc' Billy knew that Bowser couldn't get
through that, even if he did manage to dig his way under the henhouse.
Once through that and fairly in the henhouse, Unc' Billy drew a long
breath. He felt safe for the time being, anyway, and he didn't propose
to worry over the future.

Jimmy Skunk hurried after Unc' Billy. It wasn't fear that caused Jimmy
to hurry. No, indeed, it wasn't fear. He had been startled by the
unexpectedness of Bows