Tito 



the den. He followed Saddleback with his 

 eyes as far as possible, and that was no great 

 way, then went to the place to see if he could 

 track him any farther ; but he found no guiding 

 signs, and he did not chance on the little hollow 

 that was the playground of Tito's brood. 



Meanwhile Saddleback came to the little 

 hollow and gave the low call that always con- 

 jured from the earth the unruly procession of 

 the nine riotous little pups, and they dashed at 

 the Turkey and pulled and worried till it was 

 torn up, and each that got a piece ran to one 

 side alone and silently proceeded to eat, seizing 

 his portion in his jaws when another came near, 

 and growling his tiny growl as he showed the 

 brownish whites of his eyes in his effort to 

 watch the intruder. Those that got the softer 

 parts to feed on were well fed. But the three 

 that did not turned all their energies on the 

 frame of the Gobbler, and over that there waged 

 a battle royal. This way and that they tugged 

 and tussled, getting off occasional scraps, but 

 really hindering each other feeding, till Tito 

 glided in and deftly cut the Turkey into three 

 or four, when each dashed off with a prize, over 



328 



