The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-25
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
By THORNroN W. BURGESS

wHITEFOOT DECIDES QUICKLY
 Your mind made up a certain way,
 Be swift to act; do not delay. -Whitefoot the Wood Mouse When Whitefoot the Wood Mouse had discovered Whitey the Snowy Owl he had lodged down in the little hole in the snow beside which he
 had been sitting. He had not been badly frightened. but he was some what upset. Yes, sir he was some-
 what upset. You see, he had so many enemies to watch out for, and here
 was another
 Just as if I didn't have troubles enough without having this white robber to add 10 them" grumbled Whitefoot. Why doesn't he stay where he belongs, way up in the Far North? It must be that food is scarce up there. Well, now that I know he is here he will have to be smarter | than I think he is to catch me. hope Jumper the Hare will have sense
 enough to keep perfectly still. I've sometimes envied him his long legs,
 but l guess I am better off than he is at that. Once he has been seen. by an enemy only those long legs of his can save him, but I have a hun ] dred hiding places down under the snow. Whitey is watching the hole where I disappeared. He thinks I'll come out there again after a while. I'll fool him."
 Whitefoot scampered along through i little tunnel and presently very cautiously peeped out of another little round hole in the snow. Sure enough,
 there was Whitey the Snow Owl,
 back of him. on a stump watching the hole down which he had disappeared few minutes before. Whitefoot grinned. Then he looked over to
 where he had seen Jumper Che
 Hare. Jumper was still there; it was
 clear that he hadn't moved and so Whitefoot grinned. Then he settled
 Whiefoot grinned. Then he settled
 himself to watch patiently for Whitey
 to become tired of watching that hole and fly away.
 So it was that Whitefoot saw all
 that happened. He saw Whitey sud denly sail out on silent wings from
 that stump and sweep with great
 claws reaching for some one. And
 then he saw who that some one was Shadow the Weasel, He saw Shadow dodge in the very nick of time and then he watched Whitey swoop again and again as Shadow
 the Weasel lodged this way and
 that way. Finally both disappeared among the trees. Then he turned just
 in time to see Jumper the Hare bounding away with all the speed of his wonderful long legs.
 Fear, the greatest fear he had known for a long time, took posses sion of Whitefoot. Shadow the Weaselw he gasped. and had such
 a thing been possible he certainly would have turned pale. 'Whitey
 won't catch him.. Shadow is too quick for him. And when Whitey has given up and flown away Shadow will come back. He probably had found the tracks of Jumper the Hare and he
 will come back. I know him: he'll
 come back. Jumper is safe enough from him now because he has such
 start, but Shadow will be sure to find
 one of my holes in the snow. Oh dear, Oh deari What shall I dor
 You see, Shadow the Weasel is the
 one enemy that can follow Whitefoot into most of his hiding places.
 For minute or two Whitefoot sat l there shaking with fright. Then he
 made up his mind. I'll get away from here before he returns" thought
 Whitefoot. 'I've got to. I've spent com fortable winter here so far, but
 there will be no safety for me here any longer. don't know where to go, but anywhere will be better than
 here now"
 Without waiting another second Whitefoot scampered away. And how
 man might have brushed my kiss from your lips I am nearly wild
 If you do not write me soon,
 shall come out and get you and bring you home. EDDIE Monday-Memories.
 (Copyright, John F. Dilie Col