hole in the bank over there. That's a badger
hole. He's about as big as a big 'possum, and
his face is striped, black and white. He takes
a chicken once in a while, but I won't let the
men harm him. In a new country a body feels
friendly to the animals. I like to have him
come out and watch me when I'm at work."

Grandmother swung the bag of potatoes
over her shoulder and went down the path,
leaning forward a little. The road followed
the windings of the draw; when she came to
the first bend she waved at me and disap-
peared. I was left alone with this new feeling
of lightness and content.

I sat down in the middle of the garden,
where snakes could scarcely approach unseen,
and leaned my back against a warm yellow
pumpkin. There were some ground-cherry
bushes growing along the furrows, full of fruit.
I turned back the papery triangular sheaths
that protected the berries and ate a few. All
about me giant grasshoppers, twice as big as
any I had ever seen, were doing acrobatic
feats among the dried vines. The gophers
scurried up and down the ploughed ground.
There in the sheltered draw-bottom the wind
did not blow very hard, but I could hear it

[[19]]

p018 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p019w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p020

v?