"It's some one playing a joke on us, and hiding after they whistle,"
said Janet. "Maybe one of the cowboys from the ranch."
"Maybe an Indian," said Ted, and then he was sorry he had said that,
for his sister looked frightened.
"Oh!" said Janet, "if it's an Indian--"
"I don't guess it is," Teddy hastened to say. "I guess Indians don't
whistle, anyhow."
This made Janet feel better and once more she and her brother looked
around to see what made the queer whistling sound, that still kept
up. It was just like a boy calling to another, and Teddy was quite
puzzled over it until he suddenly saw what was doing it.
Perched on a small mound of earth near a hole in the ground, was a
little animal, about as big as a large rat, though, as Janet said, he
was "nicer looking." And as Ted and his sister looked, they saw this
little animal move, and then they knew he it was that was whistling.
"Oh, what is it?" cried Janet.
"I know," Teddy answered. "That's a prairie dog. Baldy told me about
them, and how they whistled when they saw any danger."
"Is there any danger here?" asked Janet, looking around.
"I guess the prairie dog thinks we're the danger," said Teddy. "But
we wouldn't hurt him."
"Does he live down in that hole?" asked Janet.
"Yes, just like a gopher," answered her brother, who had listened to
the cowboys telling about the little prairie dogs.
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