The Bobcat Walk: What Conjunctions, Prepositions, and Interjections Do

The Bobcat Walk

1"Shh! Over here," Ranger Okoro whispered, and our small group tiptoed toward her. We were on the Bobcat Walk at Pine Hollow Park, and the sun was sinking behind the hills. Bobcats are shy, so most visitors never see one. Still, I hoped we would be lucky.

2Ranger Okoro knelt beside a patch of soft mud. Four round toe prints sat in a curve above a wide pad. "Do you see any claw marks?" she asked. We shook our heads. She explained that a bobcat usually keeps its claws pulled in when it walks, but a dog's claws often leave little dots in front of its toes.

3Farther along the trail, we stopped at a fallen log. Long scratches ran across its bark. "Wow, those look fresh!" my brother Theo said. The ranger nodded. Bobcats scratch logs and trees to keep their claws in good shape and to let other bobcats know they live nearby.

4As we walked, Ranger Okoro told us more. A bobcat is about twice the size of a pet cat. It has tufts of fur on its ears, a spotted coat, and a short tail that looks as if it was cut off. That stubby, "bobbed" tail gives the bobcat its name. Bobcats hunt rabbits, mice, and other small animals, and they are most active around dawn and dusk.

5By then, the sky was turning purple. My legs were tired because we had walked for more than an hour. Theo sighed. "Maybe we'll see one next time," he said. I was ready to give up too, although I did not tell anyone.

6Then the ranger froze and pointed. Something was moving through the tall grass at the edge of the woods. It stepped onto a flat rock, and its pointed ears turned toward us. "Whoa," Theo breathed. For a few seconds, the bobcat stared at us with golden eyes. Then it slipped between two bushes and disappeared.

7Nobody said a word until we got back to the parking lot. Then everyone talked at once! I will never forget that bobcat, and I have already asked when we can come back.