Now when Doctor Rabbit ran into the big hollow tree that was his home,
Brushtail the Fox slunk into some leafy bushes near by, and lay down
without making a sound.
"I'll just wait here," Brushtail whispered to himself, "and that smart
old rabbit will be coming out pretty soon. He won't know that I'm
anywhere about."
But old Brushtail was very much mistaken, for Doctor Rabbit had peeked
out of his front door just as soon as he was inside his house, and you
remember he saw Brushtail steal into the bushes. No, sir, he wasn't to
be fooled this time.
For a long time Brushtail lay in the bushes. He lay so quietly that
not a leaf on the branches about him stirred. His glittering eyes were
turned toward Doctor Rabbit's tree, and every little while he showed
his long, sharp teeth as he smiled at the thought of the good meal
that big fat rabbit would make.
But all the while Doctor Rabbit watched from an upstairs window where
Brushtail could not see him, although Doctor Rabbit could plainly see
the pointed nose and sharp, gleaming eyes of his enemy.
Presently Doctor Rabbit heard the rustle of leaves and the gay
_chatter_, _chatter_, _chatter_ of Chatty Red Squirrel as he bounded
into the branches of a tree overlooking the bushes that hid Brushtail.
Doctor Rabbit drew a long breath of relief. He wasn't afraid of
Brushtail the Fox when he was safe in his big hollow tree--oh no, you
mustn't think that, not for a moment. But you see Doctor Rabbit was
getting pretty tired and stiff from watching so cautiously from his
upstairs window, and yet he couldn't quite bring himself to the point
of going downstairs and forgetting Brushtail. No indeed, he couldn't
quite do that.
So Doctor Rabbit was glad to see Chatty Red Squirrel, for he knew just
what would happen. And sure enough, in a few minutes Chatty Squirrel
saw Brushtail lying low in the bushes, and then how he did scold!
"Aha, old Brushtail, I see you hiding in the bushes. Thought I
wouldn't see you, didn't you? Thought I wouldn't see you! But I see
you, all right. You can't fool Chatty, no siree. Oh, I know you're
looking for Doctor Rabbit," and Chatty's tone became angrier at the
thought of Brushtail waiting to pounce upon his good friend, Doctor
Rabbit. "You're just waiting for Doctor Rabbit to come home and then
spring out at him. Get out of here, get out, get out of here!"
screamed Chatty.
Brushtail the Fox was angry. Well, I should say he was. He knew that
Doctor Rabbit would hear Chatty Red Squirrel's scolding, and would
know that he was hiding ready to eat him if he came out of the tree.
Brushtail was so angry that he snarled. But he slunk away through the
bushes without saying a word to Chatty Red. Brushtail is wise enough
to know that there is no use arguing with Chatty Squirrel, for Chatty
is altogether too noisy a talker. I should say he is.
When Brushtail slunk away through the bushes, Doctor Rabbit called to
Chatty Red Squirrel, but Chatty did not hear him. He had scampered
away to another tree, still talking loudly.
Then Doctor Rabbit turned quickly and leaned out of his window to
watch Brushtail the Fox. Brushtail was trotting off through the Big
Green Woods in a direction in which Doctor Rabbit seldom went. And
Doctor Rabbit noticed that he seemed to be afraid someone would see
him. He looked on each side of him as he went along, and every now and
then he took a big jump sidewise. Doctor Rabbit was certainly
interested now, for he believed Brushtail the Fox was going to hide
somewhere. Probably he was going to hide in a place where he hid every
day.
Yes, sir, Brushtail certainly was cautious now, and he must have
jumped to one side as many as five times while Doctor Rabbit was
watching him. Then in a little while he reached a part of the woods
where the brush and leaves were so thick that Doctor Rabbit could just
barely see him as he slipped along.