90 THE HARE SLIPS AWAY 



followed the scent to the last of the stones, 

 naturally thought that the hare had gone on, 

 and dropped to the oat stubble, but finding no 

 trace of scent, recognised her mistake. Then 

 back she leapt to the wall, with wondrous ease 

 considering its height ; and though she could 

 hardly keep her feet for the gale, she stood 

 there all excitement, scrutinising the ploughed 

 ground with eager eyes. She searched every 

 furrow without descrying the hare ; the leaves 

 that whirled about him baffled her. 



Though she failed to find him, she was so 

 convinced he was there that she sprang to the 

 ground and began questing, beginning at the 

 lower end and casting to and fro across the 

 wind in the most leisurely fashion, as if she 

 knew there was no occasion for hurry. She 

 had drawn about a third of the field when 

 the hare, seeing discovery was certain, slipped 

 from his hiding-place and, crouching very low, 

 stole towards the wall. He hoped to get away 

 unobserved, but his hope was vain. 



Just as he reached the ditch the lurcher 

 espied him, and with a single whine started 

 in pursuit. Her pace down the stubble was 

 tremendous ; she was not more than ten yards 

 behind the hare at the badgers' sett in the 

 hollow below. But on the opposing rise she 



