<div><h1 id='ch35'>CHAPTER XXXV<br/> <span class='sub-head'>BILLY MINK IS QUICK</span></h1></div>
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<p class='line0'>Eyes were given us for use;</p>
<p class='line0'>For failure there is no excuse.</p>
<p class='line0'>                <span class='it'>Billy Mink.</span></p>
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<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>When</span> Billy Mink decides to do
a thing he wastes no time thinking
about it. He does it instantly.
Therein he differs from many of
his neighbors of the Green Forest.
You see, Billy Mink is very quick.
He makes quick decisions and he
acts just as quickly. That is one
reason why Billy is able to go and
come as he pleases. There are few
he fears.</p>
<p class='pindent'>This doesn’t mean that Billy has
no enemies who could kill him
easily if they caught him. He has
several, but he isn’t afraid of them
simply because he is so quick that
he feels sure of being able to
escape, even though one of these
enemies may surprise him. So it is
probable that few, if any, of the
little people of the Green Forest
and the Green Meadows are filled
with fear as seldom as is Billy
Mink.</p>
<p class='pindent'>The night he decided to leave the
farm where he had been living so
well, and go back to the Laughing
Brook, he slipped out from under
the woodpile almost the instant
he had made up his mind. It was
a moonlight night, just the kind of
a night to travel. Billy bounded
along, care-free and happy. As is
his way, he stopped to investigate
whatever attracted his attention.
He looked into every little hole he
came to, and when he reached a
hollow log he ran through it just
to find out if anybody else had
used it lately.</p>
<p class='pindent'>By and by, he came to the
Green Forest. The moonbeams
crept through the branches overhead
and there were all sorts of
Black Shadows. This was just the
kind of a place to suit Billy. Occasionally
he ran across a bright
open place, but for the most part
he kept in the Black Shadows.
You see, Billy knows very well
that it is difficult for any one to
see him in the Black Shadows.
Not that he cared particularly who
saw him, but he long ago learned
that if one is unseen it is much
easier to see others.</p>
<p class='pindent'>He was running across one of the
bright open places when from the
corner of one of his eyes he caught
sight of a moving shadow. Now
most folks in Billy’s place would
have stopped, or at least turned to
see what that shadow meant. Billy
did nothing of the kind. The very
second that he caught that glimpse
of the moving shadow, Billy
bounded off to one side. He
didn’t hesitate a fraction of a
second. Then he darted under a
pile of brush, from which he peeped
out with his little eyes glowing red
with anger. Just over the brush
pile Hooty the Owl hovered for an
instant, and his great, yellow eyes
glared fiercely down into Billy
Mink’s angry little red ones.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“I almost got you that time,”
hissed Hooty. “The next time I
<span class='it'>will</span> get you.”</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Almost never got anybody
yet,” snapped Billy. “You’ll be
an old, old Owl, Hooty, before ever
you dine on me.” With this, Billy
actually darted right out, and before
Hooty could turn, was under
another pile of brush, laughing at
Hooty and making fun of him.</p>
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