Evening star., 1920-07-06

Unlike some folks of whom we know,
A Muskrat hates debt TO owe.
Jerry Muskrat.
Jerry Muskrat owed his life to Peter
He knew it OF course. He knew that
had Peter failed to thump that warn
ing there would be no Jerry Muskrat t
But for Peter and his warning Hooty
the Owl surely would have had a
Muskrat dinner. So Jerry felt that
he owed Peter the greatest debt any
one can owe another; he owed him
for his life.
Jerry was very grateful and he
wanted to show Peter just how CRATE
full he was He didn't want Peter to
be in danger. but he did walt to do
for Peter as much as Peter had done
for him He knew that he never could
feel quite right until that debt was
paid.
When at Peters danger signal Jer-
ry had dived with a splash into the
water. he had caught just glimpse,
a terrifying glimpse of the great,
cruel claws of Hooty the Owl reach
ing to clutch him. 1t sent cold chills
ali over him, such chills as the water
of the Smiling Pool. even when COW
cred with ice, never had given him.
But the second the water closed over
him he stopped having chills. He was
safe.
Jerry swan way out and across to
the rushes that grew on the other
side and never once showed so much
as the tip of his nose. You know
Jerry can hold his breath long time,
and that is why he can swim so far
come up for air he was among the
rushes on the other side and quite
safe.
For long time he lay floating
there in the water among the rushes
and all the time he was looking and
L 49, - l.
Hooty the Owl would waste any time
there because he would know that
Jerry would be watching and not at
all likely to give him second chance
that night. But it wouldn't be wise
to take too much for granted. and SO
Jerry lay there for some time. Final
ly he swan part way back toward
his new landing and then fioated
a while longer where the Black
Shadows rested on the water.
He had about made up his mind
that it would be safe to go back and
resume work on that new landing.
when it seemed to him that he saw
something move just back of that
little landing. 1t seemed no more
than "a shadow. but it was enough TO
make Jerry suspicious. He nxed MS
eyes on that spot and waited by
and by a wandering Little Night
Breeze danced out from that very
tickled his nose.
Instantly Jerry tingled all over.
You see that Little Night Breeze had
brought to Jerry certain odor 1t
was faint. but it was not TO be mis-
taken. 1t was the odor of Old Man
|Coyote. There couldn't be the least
doubt about it. He knew then that 1t
wasn't a Shadow he had seen move
over back of his new landing. 1t was
Old Man Coyote himself.
Jerry felt no fear. He was safe out
there in the water and he knew it.
But it made him angry. You see he
wanted to finish building that little
landing and now he wouldn't dare go
near it again that night Old Man
Coyote might be and probably was
hiding close to it, and Old Man Coyote
is nothing if not patient So Jerry
decided that the best thing for him
to do was to go back to his home in
the Smiling Pool.
Just as he was turning to do SO he
remembered Peter Rabbit. He knew
that Peter must be not far from that
little landing. He knew that when
Peter had thumped that warning
which had saved him from Hooty the
Owl Peter had himself jumped for
safety and that probably he had hid
den somewhere close by among the
rushes- He must be there now and