as that one very black night, afar off from the edge of the
level land, out of the wooded river bottom glided forth two balls of
fire. They came farther and farther into the level land. They grew
larger and brighter. The dark hid the body of the creature with those
fiery eyes. They came on and on, just over the tops of the prairie
grass. It might have been a wildcat prowling low on soft, stealthy feet.
Slowly but surely the terrible eyes drew nearer and nearer to the heart
of the level land.

There in a huge old buffalo skull was a gay feast and dance! Tiny little
field mice were singing and dancing in a circle to the boom-boom of a
wee, wee drum. They were laughing and talking among themselves while
their chosen singers sang loud a merry tune.

They built a small open fire within the center of their queer dance
house. The light streamed out of the buffalo skull through all the
curious sockets and holes.

A light on the plain in the middle of the night was an unusual thing.
But so merry were the mice they did not hear the "king, king" of sleepy
birds, disturbed by the unaccustomed fire.

A pack of wolves, fearing to come nigh this night fire, stood together
a little distance away, and, turning their pointed noses to the stars,
howled and yelped most dismally. Even the cry of the wolves was unheeded
by the mice within the lighted buffalo skull.

They were feasting and dancing; they were singing and laughing--those
funny little furry fellows.

All the while across the dark from out the low river bottom came that
pair of fiery eyes.

Now closer and more swift, now fiercer and glaring, the eyes moved
toward the buffalo skull. All unconscious of those fearful eyes, the
happy mice nibbled at dried roots and venison. The singers had started
another song. The drummers beat the time, turning their heads from
side to side in rhythm. In a ring around the fire hopped the mice, each
bouncing hard on his two hind feet. Some carried their tails over their
arms, while others trailed them proudly along.

Ah, very near are those round yellow eyes! Very low to the ground they
seem to creep--creep toward the buffalo skull. All of a sudden they
slide into the eye-sockets of the old skull.

"Spirit of the buffalo!" squeaked a frightened mouse as he jumped out
from a hole in the back part of the skull.

"A cat! a cat!" cried other mice as they scrambled out of holes both
large and snug. Noiseless they ran away into the dark.