<div><h1 id='ch21'>CHAPTER XXI<br/> <span class='sub-head'>THE RATS LEAVE THE BIG BARN</span></h1></div>
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<p class='line0'>There’s nothing quite like fear to spread</p>
<p class='line0'>And wrap the whole Great World in dread.</p>
<p class='line0'>                          <span class='it'>Billy Mink.</span></p>
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<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>Billy Mink’s</span> second visit to
the big barn had been an occasion
of great pleasure to Billy and
terror to all the Rats who lived
there. He had hunted them just
for the pleasure of hearing their
squeals of fright and the scampering
of their feet, as they raced this
way and that way, seeking safety.
With his wonderful nose he had
followed them to their most secret
hiding-places. Three he had
caught, and he could have caught
more had he really wanted to.</p>
<p class='pindent'>When he had become tired of
the hunt, Billy had curled up for
a nap in a corner of the haymow
where it was dark and quiet. He
had done this instead of going
back to the woodpile. It was
very comfortable there. Besides,
it would be very handy to be right
there when he felt like hunting
again.</p>
<p class='pindent'>It wasn’t long before all the
Rats knew just where Billy was.
One of them had happened to pass
near enough to smell Billy and
had at once passed the word along
to all the others.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Now is the time,” said the wise
old leader, “for us to get together
and attack him. Who will join
with me?”</p>
<p class='pindent'>Not a single Rat came forward.
The gray old leader shook his
head sadly. “You are cowards,
all of you,” said he. “If you will
not fight, there is just one thing
left for us to do.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>“What is that?” squeaked one
of the young Rats who had been
loudest in his boasting before Billy
Mink had appeared the second
time.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“We’ve got to leave this barn,”
replied the gray old leader. “If
we remain here, it will be to die.
That Mink will stay here, or if he
doesn’t, he will keep coming back
until he has hunted down and
killed every Rat. We must leave
the barn and do it at once. There
is no time to be lost. Probably
he is asleep now. By the time
he awakes, we must be out of this
barn. The Rat who doesn’t leave
it now never will leave it.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>Immediately there was a great
discussion. Every Rat there knew
that the wise old leader was right.
But where should they go? It
was winter, and they could not
live long out of doors. They
must go to a place where they
would find both shelter and food.
They might as well remain to be
killed by Billy Mink as to go forth
and starve or freeze to death. At
least that is what some of them
said. Some suggested one thing
and some another. Finally they
turned to the gray old leader for
his advice. They had followed
him so long that they had learned
to trust to his wisdom.</p>
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<p class='caption'><span class='sc'>The rats leave the big barn.</span></p>
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