them. After some
time, a dog would emerge from the entrance of his domicile, squat upon
his looking-out place, shake his head, and commence yelping.

For three hours we remained watching the movements of these animals, and
occasionally picking one of them off with our rifles. No less than nine
were obtained by the party. One circumstance I will mention as singular
in the extreme, and which shows the social relationship which exists
among these animals, as well as the regard they have one for another.

One of them had perched himself directly upon the pile of earth in front
of his hole, sitting up, and offering a fair mark, while a companion's
head, too timid, perhaps, to expose himself farther; was seen poking out
of the entrance. A well-directed shot carried away the entire top of
the head of the first dog, and knocked him some two or three feet from
his post, perfectly dead. While reloading, the other daringly came out,
seized his companion by one of his legs, and before we could arrive at
the hole, had drawn him completely out of reach, although we tried to
twist him out with a ramrod.

There was a feeling in this act--a something human, which raised the
animals in my estimation; and never after did I attempt to kill one of
them, except when driven by extreme hunger.

The prairie dog is about the size of a rabbit, heavier perhaps, more
compact, and with much shorter legs. In appearance, it resembles the
ground-hog of the north, although a trifle smaller than that animal. In
their habits, the prairie dogs are social, never live alone like other
animals, but are always found in villages or large settlements. They
are a wild, frolicksome set of fellows when undisturbed, restless, and
ever on the move. They seem to take especial delight in chattering away
the time, and visiting about, from hole to hole, to gossip and talk over
one another's affairs; at least, so their actions would indicate. Old
hunters say that when they find a good location for a village, and no
water is handy, they dig a well to supply the wants of the community.

On several occasions, I have crept up close to one of their villages,
without being observed, that I might watch their movements. Directly in
the centre of one of them, I particularly noticed a very large dog,
sitting in front of his door, or entrance to his burrow, and by his own
actions and those of his neighbours, it really looked as though he was
the president, mayor, or