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Hildegarde patted hiently "I know, I know We've all experienced it," she said They sat together silently for a ain through the ferns and saw the unifored, carrying equipment, and reentered the side door of Saint Bartholely

"We can deal with those I sprang two traps in the kitchen just last Sunday," Hildegarde said

"Was that you? I overheard Lucretia say that she was the one who disararde drew herself up Her whiskers quivered in outrage "What a liar!"

Ignatious rolled his eyes "She's ca, you know, to oust you and be Mouse Mistress"

Hildegarde was so angry that she couldn't speak

"Cal about the special traps he just carried in there And it's soe of I've made quite a study of traps, you know Back when I was at the univers--"

Hildegarde shot hinatious said "But pull yourself together and listen"

"I'natious nodded "Yes This is horrible Heinous, actually"

"Describe it"

"There is no spring No nasty little piece of metal to bop you on the head And no bait"

"No cheese?"

"Nada That's Spanish, incidentally Means 'nothing'"

She ignored that "How do they work, then?"

"Nice scent to the smell The Great X simply sets them about in all the obvious places Closets Kitchen sink Trash cans You know: all of our usual foraging spots"

"But no cheese You said no cheese"

"No, but the s So the unsuspecting oes close It doesn't look like a trap Siarde shuddered She could tell so to be described "What happens?" she asked

"It's covered with glue"

"Glue?"

Ignatious nodded solemnly "So the mouse leans forward to sniff or nibble--you knoe do Or reaches out with a paw"

Hildegarde cringed How utterly cruel! "And gets stuck," she said

He nodded "Dies there Starves"

Hildegarde couldn't speak She was horrified

"I saw so to cheer her "The janitor at the university library? He reached for his vacuum cleaner, and one of those traps was stuck under it"

Hildegarde frowned "Nothing funny about that"

"So the janitor tried to pry it off with his foot And his foot got stuck So there he was, attached to his own vacuu all the equiphtly at the thought But still It was very cruel

"Look! There he goes!" Ignatious pointed The exter into the back of the van Then he got in After a moment they watched him drive away froarde asked

"No He will have put poison around as well There are many kinds of rodent poison--sorry to use the word rodent--brodifacouarde put her little paws over her ears "I'd alnatious shook his head "It's worse out here," he said "Much erous We didn't even tell the soon You knohat that arde turned and parted the ferns to reveal her sleeping nest Oh, lord--Roderick was still snoring! "Well, I'ure out some survival methods to put into place for our return"

"If you don't, Lucretia will Take arde plodded away

He called after her "And then cats! On Sunday: cats!"

As if she weren't already aware of it! Hildegarde waved one paw at him and went to lie down She had a headache all of a sudden

Chapter 9

Brave Volunteers Needed!

Two days passed There were a few squabbles, and one crisis when several of Millicent's ot lost and squealed loudly until they were located and returned to her, but on the whole it was an uneventful tiarde even noted with satisfaction that several friendships had been formed with some field mice ere already residents of the cemetery Field mice were a lesser species, of course--not very sht that it was quite benevolent and generous of her clan to befriend them It crossed her mind that perhaps they could plan, at Christifts somehow to the needy but worthy population of field mice

But mostly, her mind was on their return to Saint Barthole, October second, and they had been in the ce to speak froive directions for the reentry that night But she was very nervous

"I ondering, Hildegarde, if you would like"

The voice startled her, and she looked up froood lord: Lucretia