their round eyes, utterly destitute of fear.

I burst into a fit of laughter. "What are these funny creatures, I
wonder?" I asked.

"They are prairie dogs, and we have fallen in with a prairie dog town,
though I little expected to find one so far north," answered the
Dominie; "we should farther away find them covering acres of ground. It
is said that an owl and a rattle-snake are invariably to be found in
each hole, living in perfect amity with its inmates, but I suspect that
although rattlesnakes are often to be found in the abodes of the small
rodents, their object in going there is rather to devour the young
prairie dogs than for any friendly purpose, though it is possible that
the owls take up their residence among them for the sake of society."

The animals we were watching were of the size of a rabbit, with hair
like that of a rat, the colour being of a light red, resembling the
squirrel. Their tails, however, instead of curling over, stood straight
up over their backs and seemed formed for the express purpose of
wagging, which they did to a prodigious amount. They are of the most
sociable disposition, and are generally found living in large colonies
on the prairies. We watched for a minute or two, but they did not again
show their noses above the ground. No sooner, however, had we turned
our horses' heads, and begun to ride off, than we were saluted by a
chorus of barks, which was kept up until we were out of hearing.

We should have halted at noon, but as no water could be found, we pushed
on, in the hopes of coming to a pool at which the cattle could drink.
We carried, however, enough in our water-bottles to slake our own
thirst. The sun beat down on our heads with greater force than we had
yet experienced, and compelled us frequently to apply to them. The poor
animals, we knew, must be suffering greatly, but the small portion of
the precious liquid we could have spared would have afforded them no
relief. In vain we rode sometimes to the north, sometimes to the south,
in the hopes of discovering the smallest puddle. At last we had to halt
to rest the weary cattle, though we could find no water, and without it
they showed no inclination to crop the hard, wiry grass. We therefore
remained but a short time, and once more pushed forward. As evening
approached we began to feel very anxious, for without water the oxen
ould scarcely perform their next day's journey. The sun, verging
towards the west,