THE HARE DISCOVERED 103 



could not be that ; it was his protest, his poor, 

 ineffectual protest, against the outrage. 



Intent on their quarry, the weasels gave no 

 heed, but the owl looked out of its hole to 

 learn what ailed its exemplary neighbour, and 

 the marten peered over the edge of the nest 

 to ascertain, if possible, the cause of the disturb- 

 ance. She saw nothing of rabbit or weasels, 

 for the trees hid them from sight, but she had 

 an uninterrupted view of the hare, and at once 

 was all excitement at the prospect of an unex- 

 pected feast. Though she had tasted hare 

 once and only once, the memory of the delicious 

 flavour remained, and she had often longed to 

 taste it again. So eager was she that she could 

 not take her eyes from off this unlooked-for 

 prize ; even the death-squeal of the rabbit which 

 presently rent the air did not distract her gaze. 

 After a while she lay down again, but not 

 to sleep. She spent the rest of the day 

 planning the capture of the hare, interrupting 

 her deliberations only to rise every now and 

 then to assure herself that the quarry was 

 still below. 



Far different had been the effect of that 

 despairing cry on the hare. It left him dis- 

 quieted and unnerved, with but one desire, to 

 get away at the earliest possible moment from 



