Tito 



it made her dodge and lose time, and it also 

 spurred the Dog. The hunter saw the Coyote, 

 his old acquaintance of the bobtail, carrying 

 still, as he thought, the Jack-rabbit she had been 

 bringing to her brood, and wondered at her 

 strange persistence. " Why doesn't she drop 

 that weight when flying for her life?" But on 

 she went and gamely bore her load over the 

 hills, the man cursing his luck that he had not 

 brought his Horse, and the mongrel bounding in 

 deadly earnest but thirty feet behind her. 

 Then suddenly in front of Tito yawned a little 

 cut-bank gully. Tired and weighted, she dared 

 not try the leap ; she skirted around. But the 

 Dog was fresh ; he cleared it easily, and the 

 mother's start was cut down by half. But on she 

 went, straining to hold the little one high above 

 the scratching brush and the dangerous bay- 

 onet-spikes ; but straining too much, for the 

 helpless cub was choking in his mother's grip. 

 She must lay him down or strangle him ; with 

 such a weight she could not much longer keep 

 out of reach. She tried to give the howl for 

 help, but her voice was muffled by the cub, 

 now struggling for breath, and as she tried to 



347 



