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"Well, Billy," said Leila, talking to every one to conceal her child-grief at this parting with the joyous activities of her energetic young life. "Well, Billy, it's good-bye for a year." "Won't have no more fun, Miss Leila and nobody to snowball Billy, this winter." "No, not this winter." "Found another ground-hog yesterday. I'll let her alone till you come back." John laughed.
We had anticipated regaling ourselves with the juicy humps of the buffaloes which we should kill, but although we had entered the very heart of their great pasture-land, we had not met with one, nor even with a ground-hog; a snake, or a frog.
Amongst the edibles appeared huge achatinae, which make an excellent soup, equal to that of the French snail; ground-nuts; very poor rice of four varieties, large and small, red and dark; cheap ginger, of which the streets are at times redolent, and which makes good home-brewed 'pop; the Kola-nut, here worth a halfpenny and at Bathurst a penny each; the bitter Kola, a very different article from the esculent; skewered rots of ground-hog, a rodent that can climb, destroy vegetables, and bite hard if necessary; dried bats and rats, which the African as well as the Chinese loves, and fish cuits au soleil, preferred when 'high, to use the mildest adjective.
My readers remember the story of the boy who, digging vigorously at a hole, replied to the remark of a passing traveler that there was probably no ground-hog there, and, even if there was, "ground-hog was mighty poor eatin', any way," with: "Mister, there's got to be a ground-hog there; our family's out o' meat!" That was what actuated us: we were out of material for a tent.
"I don't," said Sue. "Foxes bite." "Well, you can sell 'em for a lot of money," argued Bunny. "And maybe I could train this one. But maybe it's only a ground-hog." "I don't like them either," said Sue, "'cause one bit Splash." "Say, what kind of animals do you like?" asked Bunny, turning to look at his sister. "What would you like me to catch in my trap?" "A nice kitty cat," said Sue quickly.
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 took the grandma's blanket, Who shivered and bade them go; They took the baby's cradle, Who could not say them no." "Whew!" said Dan, peering over Long Jack's shoulder. "That's great! Must ha' bin expensive, though." "Ground-hog case," said the Galway man. "Badly lighted port, Danny." "And knew not all the while If they were lighting a bonfire Or only a funeral pile."
It was not till long after that I learned with surprise ,that he is a rodent mammal, of the species Arctomys monax, is called at the West a ground-hog, and is eaten by people of color with great relish. But I have forgotten my beautiful fox. Jacko continued to deport himself well until the young chickens came; he was actually cured of the fox vice of chicken-stealing.
Presently, as he stood still at sight of a ground-hog making for its hiding-place, he saw a shadow fall across the light breaking through the trees some distance in front of him. It was Fleda. She had not seen him, and she came hurrying towards where he was with head bent, a brightly-ribboned hat swinging in her fingers.
Of the hundred and fifty dwellings fired, only two or three escaped by accident, one of which still remains; and four hundred women and children were left to wander in the snow or seek the temporary shelter of some remote farm-house or Indian wigwam in the woods. Some wandered for days in the adjacent dismal "Black Swamp," feeding on frost-bitten cranberries, or on a casual rabbit or ground-hog.
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