SEA-FOG 83 



night, and was abruptly terminated by sea-fogs, 

 that came roHing in from the Atlantic and 

 enveloped the land as with a dense pall. Much 

 as the hare had disliked the gossamer webs he 

 disliked the fog still more, not only because it 

 shut out the view and the light of the sun and 

 the moon, but — what was much more serious 

 — because it afforded cover to the foxes, who 

 moved about as fearlessly by day as by night. 



These prowlers became a positive trouble ; 

 scarcely a day passed but at least one went 

 by ; amongst them a big grey fox, whom he had 

 never seen before, but of whom he was to 

 see more than he liked in the terrible winter 

 that followed. Yet close as these marauders 

 approached the seats, they never discovered the 

 hare. 



In fact, the time of chief danger was the 

 night. He was abroad then, but it was im- 

 possible to see more than a few yards ahead, 

 so that once he almost ran into the farm cat 

 in the mushroom field ; two nights later he 

 brushed close past a badger that was stretching 

 itself against the upright of a cromlech. How- 

 ever, no harm ensued ; for the hare leapt aside 

 and was lost to sight in the fog as effectually as 

 if he had been covered with a mass of cotton 

 wool. 



