Raggylug 89 



ventured to play it, but as he came to his ful! 

 powers it became one of his favorites. 



" It's fine play for those who can do it," said 

 Molly. *' First you lead off your dog on a 

 straightaway ana warm him up a bit by nearly 

 letting him catch you. Then keeping just one 

 hop ahead, you lead him at a long slant full tilt 

 into a breast-high barb-wire. I've seen many a 

 dog and fox crippled, and one big hound killed 

 outright this way. But I've also seen more 

 than one rabbit lose his life in trying it." 



Rag early learnt what some rabbits never 

 learn at all, that • hole-up * is not such a fine 

 ruse as it seems ; it may be the certain safety ot 

 a wise rabbit, but soon or late is a sure death, 

 trap to a fool. A young rabbit always thinks 

 of it first, an old rabbit never tries it till ail 

 others fail. It means escape from a man oi* 

 dog, a fox or a bird of prey, but it means sud- 

 den death if the foe is a ferret, mink, skunk, or 

 weasel. 



There were but two ground-holes in the 

 Swamp. One on the Sunning Bank, which 

 was a dry sheltered knoll in the South-end. It 

 was open and sloping to the sun, and here on 

 fine days the Cottontails took their sunbaths. 

 They stretched out among the fragrant pine 

 needles and winter-green in odd, cat-like posi- 



