<div><h1 id='ch17'>CHAPTER XVII<br/> <span class='sub-head'>THE ROBBERS DECIDE TO FIGHT</span></h1></div>
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<p class='line0'>A bad name sticks as naught else can</p>
<p class='line0'>To bird or beast or boy or man.</p>
<p class='line0'>                      <span class='it'>Billy Mink.</span></p>
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<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>When</span> one of the young robber
Rats at the meeting of all the Rats
in the big barn boasted that he
never had seen any one he couldn’t
hide from, all the other young Rats
nodded their heads in approval.
You see, they prided themselves on
knowing every hiding-place in that
big barn, and they never had
known an enemy small enough to
follow them to these hiding-places.
When the gray old leader of that
robber gang said that unless he
was greatly mistaken they were
likely to have a chance to see some
one they couldn’t hide from, they
at once demanded to know what he
meant.</p>
<p class='pindent'>The old leader looked around
the circle of Rats waiting for him
to speak. There were big Rats,
little Rats, and middle-sized Rats.
There were Rats gray with age,
and sleek, brown-coated Rats. He
counted noses. Every Rat of the
tribe, save only the babies too
small to leave the nests, and the
one whom Billy Mink had caught,
was present. In the faces of the
gray old Rats he could see worry.
Like himself, they understood the
danger they were in. In the faces
of the younger Rats there was no
worry. It was plain to see that
they felt quite confident of being
able to take care of themselves.
Never in all their lives had they
met an enemy they could not run
away from, and he knew they
didn’t believe such an enemy
lived.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Knowledge of life is obtained
only through experience,” he began.
“You who are so sure you
can hide from this new enemy are
confident because you are ignorant.
Cats and Dogs you do not fear,
because you can go where they cannot
follow. But this Mink who has
found our den can follow where any
of you, even the smallest, can go.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>“But if he does not see us hide,
how can he find us?” squeaked a
sharp-nosed young Rat.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“A Mink does not have to see
in order to follow,” retorted the
gray old leader. “You cannot
move without leaving a scent which
he can follow by means of his wonderful
nose. All he has to do is
to find where you have been and
then follow straight to where you
are hiding. He can run faster
than you can and longer than you
can. There is no escape from him
once he sets out to catch one of
you. The best fighter among us
is no match for him alone. I tell
you, friends, our tribe is in danger.
It is in the greatest danger it ever
has faced. I have called you together
to make this plain to you
and to get your ideas as to what
we should do.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>For a few moments no one
spoke. The worried look on the
faces of the older Rats had crept
into the faces of the younger Rats.
Finally a scarred old fighter spoke.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“It seems to me,” said he, “there
is only one thing to do, and that
is, fight. What one of us alone
cannot do, all of us together can.
I propose that the next time this
enemy appears, we all attack him
together.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>To this all the Rats agreed.</p>
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