The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-09

neighbors; the beavers, fat and peaceful re- fused to fight; the squirrels, whose nests were out of reach, also refused to quarrel: so that the water rats and the marshrats alone joined the mnskrats in their war of retribution.
 But the mink and otter, while almost all killed In the immediate neighborhood, sum- moned their friends from the distant swamps until the river was black with shining oily backs and wicked fiat eyes swimming to the otters settlement. Great, ferocious mink, with terrible teeth, were there, all ready for the fight.
 The muskrats chose certain night for the trial of strength; the rats preferred the day light, but they were few in number; a moonlight night was preferred by a major. ity of the animals
 The fish eaters, as the enemies were called Qor otter and mink live on fishes while muskrats feed on roots and water plants). were undecided about what to do, for they did not know on what day or night they would be attacked. Their leader, a large ugly otter, blind in one eye, ran clumsily up and down log, watching for the enemy. He was a mortal enemy of "Old White Tip" and had decided to fight the old muskrat to the death should they meet.
 On the chosen night the one-eyed otter was running as an inch-worm runs down twig along the log. The moon had just risen and cast a splendid beam of light on the broad, unruffled river. Not a sound was heard
 Presently his good eye caught sight of a ripple up river; then a dark line appeared on the water and the advance guard of the muskrats was seen swimming rapidly down the silent stream. In front swan 'Old White Tip, brave as ever, and behind that dark line was an unbroken phaanx of heads and tails; behind the muskrats came the black rats, who were not very good swim mers. On they came, but not sound was heard
 The blind otter gave loud scream of warning, and from the nearby swamp ap- peared the formidable mass of his army os otter and mink. In another moment the two bodies of animals had closed and the battle was begun. Not a single muskrat turned All charged for the throats of the enemy
 ''Old White Tip had seen his enemy, the blind otter, from afar and he did not finch from the meeting. The two animals, in the very midst of the general tumult fought fiercely. The water was soon dyed red from their blood, and In q few moments the wiry otter had grasped his enemy by the throat Unable to breathe with his mouth open in the water, the blind otter tugged his prey to shore, where he was preparing to break his neck. But "0ld White Tip" struggled still, and succeeded in getting a terrible hold on the otter's throat in his turn. Still, being an old fellow, he would have soon died had not help come Suddenly the ferocious otter found himself attacked by a swarm of black rats, who soon killed him, in spite of his ter rible struggles. Thus was "Old White Tip" saved by the black rats, who had been un- able to fight in the water and had come to his rescue on the shore.
 The battle was soon over. The otters had l killed many of the muskrats, but had been forced back by the countless swarms of the enemy and had finally fled In confusion. leaving the water dotted with their dead com panions.
 In this way did the muskrats punish the fish eaters, and to this day you will find them the lords and masters of the rivers.