A Weosle's Strategy

An Incident whtch oernrred near Santa Barbara, ( allfornla, Illiutratea the sagaclty of the wcascl. , getitienran's farm infested wlth rats, and lic was efeatfy annoyimI by tbelr depredatlons. Theyhad been graduaUy diaappearing, howexu during the past few weeks. The gentleman flnally discovered the cauie of thelr probable (ftpappearanee in ¦ vcry wlde awake wéáaelj which wa$tngag¦d at the time in a vigoroui combat wlth an imiisiially lafge-glzed rat. The lat ter proved tOO illHcli for liis advcrBary, and tinully cuaüu-d hig weaselshlp out t llicharn. A few innrnings later the gentleman found the sanie animáis engiiged in a similar battle. Tlic wca-el at last ran away, as befhra, and the rat fallowed in hot purgult. Tliis time; howeVer, the 'eacei ran into a hole t had burrowed througli a pile of hardeued Dömpost. The hole was quite large al the entranoe Uut the outlet was scaict-ly turge enougli to admit the passage of the cascl's liudy. 'J'lu' weasel darted Into the hole, witlithe rat at his hcels. A muit later the wruscl emerged froin the othergide, ran qulckly aiomid the ciamposi pile, and again entered the boto, tin time in the (.neiny's rear. The gentlenMRi, Intereated ia Mie proceedin;-, watehed the place lome time and found that otily the weiisel eameout. Digirjng Into the oompost, he foimd the rat quiic dcad and partly eaten. The weasel had armnired his trap so that the rat coukl enter, but, hecomlnfi dosely wedged in the narrovv portion of ttte hole, could 1 attaeked at a disadvantage and easily killed.