One evening Whitefoot had found it hard work to find enough food to fill his stomach.  He had kept going a little farther and a little farther from home.  Finally he was farther from it than he had ever been before.  Timmy had filled his stomach and from near the top of a tree was watching Whitefoot.  Suddenly what seemed like a great Black Shadow floated right over the tree in which Timmy was sitting, and stopped on the top of a tall, dead tree.  It was Hooty the Owl, and it was simply good fortune that Timmy happened to see him.  Timmy did not move.  He knew that he was safe so long as he kept perfectly still.  He knew that Hooty didn’t know he was there.  Unless he moved, those great eyes of Hooty’s, wonderful as they were, would not see him.

Timmy looked over to where he had last seen Whitefoot.  There he was picking out seeds from a pine cone on the ground.  The trunk of a tree was between him and Hooty.  But Timmy knew that Whitefoot hadn’t seen Hooty, and that any minute he might run out from behind that tree.  If he did Hooty would see him, and silently as a shadow would swoop down and catch him.  What was to be done?

“It’s no business of mine,” said Timmy to himself.  “Whitefoot must look out for himself.  It is no business of mine at all.  Perhaps Hooty will fly away before Whitefoot moves.  I don’t want anything to happen to Whitefoot, but if something does, it will be his own fault; he should keep better watch.”

For a few minutes nothing happened.  Then Whitefoot finished the last seed in that cone and started to look for more.  Timmy knew that in a moment Hooty would see Whitefoot.  What do you think Timmy did?  He jumped.  Yes, sir, he jumped.  Down, down, down, straight past the tree on which sat Hooty the Owl, Timmy sailed.  Hooty saw him.  Of course.  He couldn’t help but see him.  He spread his great wings and was after Timmy in an instant.  Timmy struck near the foot of a tree and without wasting a second darted around to the other side.  He was just in time.  Hooty was already reaching for him.  Up the tree ran Timmy and jumped again.  Again Hooty was too late.  And so Timmy led Hooty the Owl away from Whitefoot the Wood Mouse.

CHAPTER XXIII:  Whitefoot Spends A Dreadful Night

   Pity those who suffer fright
   In the dark and stilly night.
     — Whitefoot.

One night of his life Whitefoot will never forget so long as he lives.  Even now it makes him shiver just to think of it.  Yes, sir, he shivers even now whenever he thinks of that night.  The Black Shadows had come early that evening, so that it was quite dusk when Whitefoot crept out of his snug little bed and climbed up to the round hole which was the doorway of his home.  He had just poked his nose out that little round doorway when there was the most terrible sound.  It seemed to him as if it was in his very ears, so loud and terrible was it.  It frightened him so that he simply let go and tumbled backward down inside his house.  Of course it didn’t hurt him any, for he landed on his soft bed.