Front matter
Reading edition
Books by
THORNTON W. BURGESS
Mother West Wind Series
Old Mother West Wind
Mother West Wind’s Children
Mother West Wind’s Animal Friends
Mother West Wind’s Neighbors
Mother West Wind “Why” Stories
Mother West Wind “How” Stories
Mother West Wind “When” Stories
Mother West Wind “Where” Stories
Green Meadow Series
Happy Jack
Mrs. Peter Rabbit
Bowser the Hound
Old Granny Fox
Green Forest Series
Lightfoot the Deer
Blacky the Crow
Whitefoot the Wood Mouse
Buster Bear’s Twins
Smiling Pool Series
Billy Mink
Little Joe Otter
Jerry Muskrat at Home
Longlegs the Heron
“Of course,” said Billy Mink, “you and I are safe enough.”
Copyright, 1919, 1920, 1924,
BY THORNTON W. BURGESS
All rights reserved
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
BY ARRANGEMENT WITH LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY
CONTENTS
CHAPTERPAGE
IBilly Mink Becomes Suspicious1
IIBilly Finds a Trap6
IIIBilly Outwits the Trapper11
IVBilly Finds Some Queer Fences16
VA Moonlight Visit21
VIBilly Warns Bobby Coon26
VIIBobby and Billy Put Their Heads Together31
VIIIWhat Bobby Coon and Billy Mink Did36
IXBobby Coon Gets a Fright41
XBilly and Bobby Warn Their Friends46
XIBilly and Little Joe Decide to Go Visiting51
XIIBilly Has the Wandering Foot56
XIIIBilly Makes Himself at Home61
XIVBilly Has Good Hunting66
XVA Den of Robbers71
XVIA Robber Meeting76
XVIIThe Robbers Decide to Fight81
XVIIIThe Rats Plan to Kill Billy Mink86
XIXThe Danger Signal91
XXWhy the Plans of the Rats Failed96
XXIThe Rats Leave the Big Barn101
XXIIBilly Mink’s Surprise106
XXIIIBilly Hunts in Vain111
XXIVWhere the Rats Were116
XXVThe Farmer and His Wife Are in Despair120
XXVIThe Rats Start a Fire124
XXVIIBilly Is Discovered129
XXVIIIThe Farmer Guesses the Truth134
XXIXThe Farmer Makes Friends with Billy139
XXXBilly Lives High144
XXXIBilly Trails His Breakfast148
XXXIIBilly Makes a Discovery153
XXXIIIThe Farmer Sees a Strange Sight158
XXXIVBilly Goes Home162
XXXVBilly Mink Is Quick167
XXXVIA Heap of Snow Comes to Life172
XXXVIIJumper the Hare Has a Bad Hour177
XXXVIIIJumper Is in a Dreadful State of Mind182
XXXIXAn Enemy Proves a Friend186
XLSomething Billy Mink Didn’t Know191
ILLUSTRATIONS
“Of course,” said Billy Mink, “you and I are safe enough.”Frontispiece
Jerry Muskrat was swimming over towards his house49
The Rats leave the big barn105
It was plain to see that those Rats were in a terrible fright160