Excitement at Double B Acres

Cinnamon quietly watched the deadly maneuvers of the tomcats catching mice. The pony felt uneasy. Something in the air disturbed him. In the moonlight he could see teeming activity in the desert. Suddenly, with alarm he noticed three coyotes in the distance. They were slinking through the creosote bushes. Slyly and two of his friends were heading straight for Double B Acres. Cinnamon’s loud snort interrupted Whiskers’ and Bitsy’s game with the mice. Just as Whiskers had his eye on his last victim, the pony’s warning pierced the silence. The unhappy tomcats watched every mouse disappear, and the coyote trio quickly darted behind a creosote bush. “Doesn’t that pony ever sleep?” moaned Slyly with disgust. The coyotes rolled their eyes in exasperation. As the three crouched out of sight, a rush of disappointment overcame them. “Now let’s hang loose,” reasoned Slyly. “The night is young. They may know we’re out here. But they don’t know what bush we’re behind. If we can get past Cinnamon and that Great Dane, there is a meal waiting for each of us. The two cats and that small dog will be quite delectable.” Slyly’s lips curled into a menacing smile. “Let’s just bide our time, boys. When they make a mistake, we’ll be ready.” Meanwhile, at Double B Acres, Whiskers, Bitsy, Domino, and Khaki were congregated at Cinnamon’s stall. “What is it, Cinnamon? What’s going on?” asked Khaki anxiously. The two cats were puzzled. The pony’s snort had certainly ended their feast. “How in the world would any of you survive without me?” asked Cinnamon impatiently. “Slyly is out there and has his eyes on all of us. He is just waiting for a false move by any one of you. Whiskers, Bitsy, stay close by me tonight. The coyote has two friends with him. I dare say they are lean and hungry. They’ll slit your throats quicker than you can sneeze.” The Great Dane stared into the darkness. There was no sign of the intruders. Suddenly she sniffed the air. The hair on her neck bristled. She growled. “They’re out there all right. I’m sure they’re looking at us right now.” “Domino, you stay close to Khaki tonight,” warned Cinnamon apprehensively. “Slyly and his friends will have their eyes on you for sure. Khaki, you stick to him like a fly on molasses. We must look after one another until morning. Now let’s get back to our business. Just be on guard.” Fortunately the cats had lost their appetite for mice. They crawled to the very top of the haystack. From that height, the two could see every movement. Whiskers and Bitsy bedded down for the night. They had no intention of descending until dawn. As midnight approached, the desert was quiet. The wind shifted. A few scattered clouds drifted across the sky. At times the moon was hidden. Slyly’s stomach was growling with hunger pangs. His mouth was dry as a bone. “Now that fat little Domino would certainly be a tasty morsel,” he mused. His mouth began to water. A vision flashed through his mind. He could just imagine Domino on a platter. The table was spread for a banquet. Slyly shivered in anticipation. Hours passed. The sky grew darker. “Slyly,” drawled one of his companions. “We’re getting nowhere with this operation. Why, I’m so weak I don’t believe I could outrun a sick turtle. What you say we call this whole thing off? Let’s mosey along. We might pick off a rabbit or two. Look! There are two sitting right over there. Let’s face it; a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. Besides,” he whined, “we’re the birds in the bush.” Slyly glanced to the west. It was true. Two black-tailed jackrabbits were sitting in plain sight, just ready to be caught. The coyote thought for a moment. “Well, we’ll give it ten more minutes. If our situation hasn’t changed, we’ll get going. There will always be another opportunity,” he boasted. “After all, even a blind pig stumbles across an acorn now and then. Surely we can have the same good fortune.” However, the coyotes would be leaving much sooner than planned. Thirst had consumed the most dreaded and deadly of all the creatures in the desert. He knew exactly where he could drink his fill of fresh clear water. Behind Slyly and his friends, everyone had cleared a wide path. Slithers, the rattlesnake, was crawling slowly toward Double B Acres. The coyotes were right in the middle of his path. And he was not about to go around them. Slithers made no sound until he was right upon them. Then the snake coiled to strike. He shook the rattles on his tail viciously. Slyly and his friends snarled in surprise. Then the three leaped straight up into the air. They were running before their feet hit the ground.