“More fool you,� said the other. “We could have cleaned up all those beetles who were lying around and then had a mouse apiece if you hadn’t grabbed that one right off. He squeaked, and now that dog is on the lookout for us.� Chaik guessed the mice had come out to pick up what the Woodsfolk left near Louie’s blanket tent, where Watch the Dog was asleep with one ear open, and the owls found them. “Give us a leg,� the owl went on.
“Go get one for yourself,� said the other rudely.
“I can’t,� whined the scary one. Chaik guessed it was the he-owl. “I’m scared of that dog. He moved when your mouse squeaked. I’d have had one, too, if you hadn’t been so greedy.�
“Oh, here, then. I’ll get another easy enough. That dog can’t catch me,� snapped his wife, clicking her beak. “But this thing has got to stop. We can’t be bothered with dogs and boys and everything right here on our hunting ground.�
“How can we help it?�
“I’m going to hunt up Killer the Weasel. That’s what the mice ought to have done. He wouldn’t kill any more mice than Stripes Skunk and Tad Coon do between them, and if he settled here I can just tell you everybody else would have to move away—or get eaten. He’s the one to bring.â€�
“So would we,� protested the scary owl. “You can’t nest with him anywhere about. He can climb like Chatter Squirrel.�
“Well, what nesting did we do this year?� she snarled back. “After those nasty jays pulled out all our feathers when they caught us in the Brushpile we couldn’t hunt enough to lay eggs, let alone raise a family!�
Suddenly the he-owl, who was much the scarier of the two, put up his beak and sniffed uncomfortably. “I smell feathers,� said he. “You haven’t been catching any birds, have you? I’m sure it’s feathers I’ve been noticing for the longest while.�
“Just suppose you stop plaguing me about that young seagull,� snapped his wife. “I like eating them, even if you don’t. It was a good half a hatching ago that I caught her, and you’re still yapping about it. The old ones never found who’d taken her.�