Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-06
RATS BUILDING FORTS.
How They Fortify Themselves Against tho
Attacks of Snakes.

IA BUILDING rum y.
How They Fortify Themselves Against tho
Attacks of Snakes.
In many parts of New Mexico and Arizona
there grows a peculiar kind Of cactus, known
as togo, which from bottom to top Is a mass
of fine, sharp thorns To snases, coyotes,
and ell sorts Of ''varmints" this cactus is
holy terror, for its thorns are easily detached
from the plant, and when once in the flesh
make poisonous sore. Birds build their
nests in a togo thicket, and there find safety
from their enemies, which do not dare to at
tempt the dangers of the togo for the sake
either of eggs or birds. Whether cbserva-
ton of the immunity enjoyed by the birds
prompted the rats TO the intelligent actions
observed cannot say, but certainly IL ever
there was a case of clear and consecutive
reasoning from cause to effect it was this.
Near the camp where was located there
was a large hill very much broken, and on
one side precipice perhaps twenty feet
high. Passing close by the foot Of the preci-
pice one day, and coming unexpectedly round
the corner of the rock, | surprised u number
of wood rats, apparently very busy about
something Immediately on my appearance
they all scanpered away to a hole in the
rock, each making high jump as he neared
the hole and diving head first out of sight.
l paid them little attention at the time, and
did not examine the hole or its vicinity, but
| day later, passing the same spot, noticed
them repeat the maneuver.
Still did not regard 1t as anything out of
the ordinary, and not until | had witnessed
their retreat and high jump for the third
time did il occur to ME that the incident was
peculiar | then went up to the hole, and TO
my surprise found that for foot in every
direction the ground thickiy set with the
toyo thorns | wondered how they got there,
but dismissed the matter from mind until a
day or so later, when / surprised caravan
Of rats on their way from togo thicket
close by Each rat carefully conveyed enc or
more thorns IN his mouth. Upon my ap-
pearance every one dropped his little burden
and fed as before, and l resolved 20 fathom
the mystery.
Accordingly, the next morning / made
circuit over the hill at considerable distance
from the precipice, and no Indian stealing
along in pursuit of enemy ever crawled
over the ground with more circumspect caro-
than in chase Of information about the rats.
Finally reaching the edge Of, the little cliff,
selected spot where cleft in the rock gave
me the opportunity | sought for, Of seeing
without being seen, and | cautiously peeped
over. The ground was alive with rats old
and young, and all were as busy as naiiers-
Some were at the togo thicket cutting the
thorns, others were transporting them with
cautious haste TO the vicinity Of the nest, and
still others were setting them in the earth In
iuch a way as to make perfect and formi-
liable chevaux-de-frise All the points were
surned out, and 50 thicxly were the thorns
planted that even the tip Of ones finger could
not have touched the ground without wound
from the points
Day by day watched while the work went
On, and in three or four days the foTtificaticn
was completed, and the thorns set as thickiy
as they could stand in semicircle from the
wall Of rock in which was the hole, the en-
trance to the nest The rats were evidently
fresh arrivals In that neighborhood for the
hole gave no sign Of previous occupation, but
In less than a week they were quite az home,
and thoroughly fortified gainst snakes, which
was evidently their purpose In constructing
the thorny rampant. For nearly two yards
in every direction from the rock the th0rns
extended, and when tho fertilization was
completed no engineer could have planned
and executed better system OF protection
With due regard for their g~n comfort and
convenience the rats had, by some means oe@i
known 20 themselves, placed three stcnes.
double the size OF fist, at nearly equal d.
tances from each other in the midst Of tie
thorny hedge, and when going IN and out Of
the nest leaped from one 20 tho other.
One evening while watching them a. play
saw a sentinel rat at some distance from
the nest come runhing In with evident ngns O.
alarm In a moment TIE scene Ma changed,
l.
stepping stone 70 another. finally diving into
the hole I'll al had disappeared TEsn ~hs
made apparent the cause Ct ths h1ghs--a
good sized rattler a. some dis.anos Winding
his way along IL CHASE Of the f-esnz ssu.rr
he evfderflY Enelt RAJ, bot was in 70
hurry, as being sure taas the refuge Of his In
tended supper was Easy Of access and q; DO
great distance. So On hs came. ca tAs track
Ct tie rats, occasionally pauztrz and darling
cut lis long tongue e. though Ack4ng RS lsgs
IL pleasant u.icspatioa-
Not 8 rat. however, was 70 be SEA On
came tbs raesiesnsks, touched tbs ihorrs and
at cnoe drew neck Something wrong about |
this be sesn-d 20. say % kinnself. moved q
hs.ls 20 chs ode, and again started forward !
More thorns Again be trisd, but a; every |
point tie sharp spears p-cseu.ed Themselves, /
and Whenever he felt then agnins, LIS scAlss /
be kurrs~dly retired Ard DOW tee rats DO |
gan 10 take m interest in tie mater. gray /
Cd ve.eran occAGonAlIy slowing his ~hisGsrs /
~ the hoe and swiftly resxes.zrg ussa - /
eanEt. sShs 81 the threatening s-axs
Fer sozcs tia. tie pay v.nt oa, but a. /
though tAe snake ooi1sd Eiass2f so6 ssp4~r- |
eray e-Sssavossc 30 charm ;es rs,s, tAsy - /
fused 20 listen 70 tie voice q tes ehzrrn<y. /
,hcaA as shs izpo.>srs a tie ssaxs fer /!
harm beams rs0re aPperezs izeT ua1sd !
bolde<, COS or s~o occasso1sA1T >Tsa co-nsng /
oct q sos hc.e and syo1ski.g ~ .bo1za In /
de-1xon, .horgk tsey dsred n axa1a wiz 10 /
c-sdshls sv1ftrss wssn>rs- ;ss rass1r beams I
unrs2Gl-y eerocsozs
As DARKNESS -ss coming "a, and id ro. /
ears 70 VAL lcaxz. sp4~e .6s scses n !