Part 6 (1/2)

So Reddy, with one eye on Farn of Johnny Chuck, stole into the old orchard Every few steps he would stop and look and listen At every little noise he would start nervously Then Sammy Jay would chuckle under his breath

So Reddy Fox crept and tiptoed about through the old orchard Every rew n of Johnny Chuck's house He began to think that Sarind his teeth At last he decided to give it up

He was down in the far corner of the old orchard, close by the old stone wall now, and he got all ready to jump over the old stone wall, when he just happened to look on the other side of the big apple-tree he was under, and there hat he was looking for--Johnny Chuck's new house!

Johnny Chuck wasn't in sight, but there was the new house, and Johnny rinned It was a sly, wicked, hungry grin He flattened hi apple-tree

”I'll give Johnny Chuck the surprise of his life!” muttered Reddy Fox under his breath

Now Sa all this time He knew that Johnny Chuck was safely inside his house, for Johnny had seen Reddy when he first came into the old orchard And Sammy knew that Johnny Chuck knew that when Reddy found that new house, he would hide just as he had done

”Johnny Chuck won't coain to-day, and there won't be any exciteht Saht between Reddy Fox and Johnny Chuck Just then Sammy looked over to Far ready to saood The iave him an idea He flew over to the old apple-tree, just over Reddy's head, and began to screas

Farmer Brown's boy stopped work and looked over towards the old orchard

”When a jay screams like that there is usually a fox around,” he muttered, as he unfastened Bowser the Hound

XVIII FARMER BROWN'S BOY MAKES A DISCOVERY

Reddy Fox glared up at Sammy Jay ”What's the matter with you?” snarled Reddy Fox ”Why don't youtrouble for other people?” You see, Reddy was afraid that Johnny Chuck would hear Saht you had gone down to the Green Meadows!”

Sammy said this as if he was very much surprised to see Reddy there He wasn't, for you know he had been watching Reddy hunt for Johnny Chuck's new house, but Reddy had pretended that he was going down to the Green Meadows early that ht that Reddy really had gone

”I changedso for?”

”Just to exercise s, so as to be sure that I can screa still louder

”Well, go somewhere else and scream; I want to sleep,” said Reddy crossly

Now Saht of taking a nap but was hiding there to try to catch Johnny Chuck And Sammy knew that Farmer Brown's boy could hear him scream, and that he knew that when Sammy screa in the top of the apple-tree, Sa for the old orchard, with Bowser the Hound running ahead of hiun, so Sammy knew that no haret a dreadful scare; and that is what Sammy wanted, just out of pure mischief So he screamed louder than ever

Reddy Fox lost his temper He sat up and called Saot where he was He told Saht of hiht hi Henearer and nearer Suddenly there was a great roar right behind him ”Bo! Bo, !”--just like that

Reddy was so frightened that he didn't even look to see where he was juainst the apple-tree Then he started for the Green Forest, with Bowser the Hound at his heels

Sahed till he lost his breath and nearly tu He thought it the greatest joke ever

Farmer Brown's boy had followed Bowser the Hound into the old orchard

”I wonder what a fox was doing up here in broad daylight,” said he, talking to himself ”Perhaps one of my hens has stolen her nest down here, and he has found it I'll have a look, anyway”