94 THE LURCHER WITHDRAWS 



gave no sign of life whatever, yet it was long 

 before she abandoned this last hope and finally 

 withdrew. A more crestfallen creature than 

 she looked it would be difficult to picture ; her 

 gait had lost all its briskness, her limbs re- 

 laxed, her ears drooped. Her disappointment 

 overwhelmed her ; for she had counted the 

 quarry hers the moment she sighted it, and on 

 the moor had felt absolutely certain of it. 



The hare watched the retreating form of 

 his enemy till it became a speck and finally dis- 

 appeared from view. Then he rose, looked round 

 to see that no other enemy was in sight, shook 

 his coat, rolled where the otter had rolled, en- 

 sconced himself in the most sheltered spot his 

 inhospitable refuge afforded, and there remained 

 till night. It was pitch dark when he withdrew 

 by way of the rocks he knew so well. 



