I was plain to see that those rats were in a terrible fright.
And it was plain to see that those Rats were in a terrible fright. They were squeaking and squealing with fear, and every one of them was running as fast as he could. They scattered in all directions. Some made for the big barn, some made for the woodpile, some made for the henhouse, and others started off straight toward the next farm, in spite of the snow on the ground. The farmer shouted aloud for joy. He knew there wouldn’t be one Rat left in that house by the time Billy Mink came out.
CHAPTER XXXIV
BILLY GOES HOME
You’ll ne’er regret the kindly deed
That aids another in his need.
Billy Mink.
Almost at the heels of the last frightened Rat fleeing from the house of Billy Mink’s friend, the farmer, appeared Billy Mink himself. The Rat started for the big barn, but Billy caught him before he was halfway there.
The farmer who had been watching knew that was the last Rat. He knew it because he knew that Billy would not have shown himself outside as long as there was a Rat left inside. At once the farmer went over and stopped up that hole, so that no Rat could get back into the house.
“You killed one of my chickens, you little brown rascal,” said he, “but you’ve paid for it ten times over. I had intended to kill you for that beautiful, brown coat of yours, but now I wouldn’t harm a hair of it. As long as you want to stay around here, you are welcome. In fact, the longer you stay around here, the better I will like it, and I shall see to it that you have plenty to eat.”
Billy Mink didn’t hear this, and he wouldn’t have understood it if he had. But he had already made up his mind that the farmer was his friend and that was sufficient.