16 HE GROOMS HIMSELF 



of raining on him. Her fears fled in the presence 

 of this sentinel of the wild, so that for a few 

 minutes during the afternoon she actually fell 

 asleep. "If only there were some night-bird to 

 watch over us," she thought while she sat await- 

 ing dusk. And as soon as darkness fell an owl 

 began hooting. At once, as if she took it for 

 a signal, she stole from the form to attend to 

 her young. 



Her visit was most welcome to the jack, who 

 was very sorry when she withdrew. He listened 

 to her retreating steps, and as they died away 

 tried to combat the feeling of loneliness that 

 beset him. In the weary watch that followed he 

 sorely missed the companion of his waking 

 hours. He felt forlorn without her soft, warm 

 side to nestle against ; but in a night or two he 

 found something to occupy him. He took to 

 grooming himself, and off and on spent hours 

 brushing his ears and licking his coat, especially 

 the snow-white fur on his belly, which had looked 

 so ghostly as his mother bore him through the 

 dusk. He made himself as clean as a pink, 

 and when the feeling of isolation wore off, as it 

 soon did, he felt as happy as a strong, healthy 

 leveret could feel. Soon, however, his muscles 

 began to ache for want of exercise : they kept 

 urging him to throw aside his fears and break 



