“That’s it—sure! But whatever it was has gone out I reckon.”
“Animals have back doors to their dens; don’t they?” asked Chot.
“I reckon they do—this one must have had, anyhow.”
“What do you think it was, Rick?”
“Oh, a fox, maybe.”
“Couldn’t it be a bob cat?”
“You mean a lynx?”
“Yep.”
“Sure, it could. Maybe it was. Well, we’ll let it go this time, seeing it got away!” laughed Rick. “Come on, Ruddy, chase yourself around and get up an appetite for dinner,” and he threw a stick down the side of the hill, the boys laughing at the dog’s eagerness to retrieve it.
“Do you mind doing this, Chot?” asked Rick, when they were again busy on the stone pile, tossing and prying aside the rocks.