Beyond the West: containing an account of two years' travel in the other half of our great continent far beyond the old West, on the plains, in the Rocky mountains, and picturesque parks of Colorado. Also, characteristic features of New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho ... Oregon, Utah, Nevada, and ... California, the end of the West ... the great continental railroad, together with the ... most wonderful natural scenery in the world .../ by George W. Pine.

TIHE PLAINS.
the rattlesnake nor shade for the winking e es of
the owl. These idle and impudent foreigners in trude and appropriate to themselves the labors of
the industrious little animal which provides himself
wvith a cool shelter from the burning sun, and a
comfortable home to shelter him from the storm.
Wheniever they are driven to seek refuge firom sun
or storm, they enter unceremoniously and take possession.
Aly now friend mountain man also informed me
that the rattlesnake, when other food was not conveniently obtained, would appropriate to himself a
young prairie dog, and that the owvl waits at the doer
of its appropriated (without leave) domicil to nab a
wandering mouse that might come tha,t way, instead(
of goiing after it as an honest owl should do. Hovwever, they seem friends, for I su1ppo(Se the vwould(-be
lord and master of the household dare not be other
wise for fear of ready vengeance. I have seen him
wieien do)mestic troubles seemed to rack his little red
dlo,gish constitution, when it was easy to imagina
hie lo(oked( a lecture, each sparkling eye a sermon.
Around their burrows the earth is heaped up 18 or
20 inches, from the top of which the occupants de.
light to survey what is going on in the community.
They feed at night, are very shy, and when shot, unless killed outright, will tumble back into their hole.
-.1
i
.1I
I
'I
.i
I
I
i
i
i
i
5119)