Tito 



tiously sneaking nearer, very cautiously, some- 

 what puzzled, till he got a whiff that reminded 

 him of the place where he had found those 

 Turkeys. The Hen took alarm, and tried to 

 run away ; but Saddleback made a rush, seized 

 the Hen so fiercely that the string was broken, 

 and away he dashed toward the home valley. 



Jake had fallen asleep, but the squawk of the 

 Hen happened to awaken him, and he sat up in 

 time to see her borne away in old Saddleback's 

 jaws. 



As soon as they were out of sight Jake took 

 up the white-feather trail. At first it was easily 

 followed, for the Hen had shed plenty of plumes 

 in her struggles ; but once she was dead in Sad- 

 dleback's jaws, very few feathers were dropped 

 except where she was carried through the brush. 

 But Jake was following quietly and certainly, 

 for Saddleback had gone nearly in a straight 

 line home to the little ones with the dangerous 

 telltale prize. Once or twice there was a puz- 

 zling delay when the Coyote had changed his 

 course or gone over an open place ; but one 

 white feather was good for fifty yards, and when 

 the daylight was gone, Jake was not two hun- 



33 2 



