GLIMPSES OF WILD LIFE 183 



and early pears. It grew rapidly, and was one of 

 the softest and most harmless-looking pets I had 

 ever seen. For a month or more the little rabbit 

 was the only company I had, and it helped to be- 

 guile the time immensely. In coming in from the 

 field or from my work, I seldom failed to bring it 

 a handful of red clover blossoms, of which it became 

 very fond. One day it fell slyly to licking my 

 hand, and I discovered it wanted salt. I would then 

 moisten my fingers, dip them into the salt, and offer 

 them to the rabbit. How rapidly the delicate little 

 tongue would play upon them, darting out to the 

 right and left of the large front incisors, the slender 

 paws being pressed against my hand as if to detain 

 it ! But the rabbit proved really untamable ; its wild 

 nature could not be overcome. In its large box- 

 cage or prison, where it could see nothing but the 

 tree above it, it was tame, and would at times 

 frisk playfully about my hand and strike it gently 

 with its forefeet; but the moment it was liberated 

 in a room or let down in the grass with a string 

 about its neck, all its wild nature came forth. In 

 the room it would run and hide; in the open it 

 would make desperate efforts to escape, and leap and 

 bound as you drew in the string that held it. At 

 night, too, it never failed to try to make its escape 

 from the cage, and finally, when two thirds grown, 

 succeeded, and we saw it no more. 



