Raggytug 105 



when he would let her go for awhile. But his 

 fixed purpose was to kill Rag, whose escape 

 seemed hopeless. There was no other swamp 

 he could go to, and whenever he took a nap 

 now he had to be ready at any moment to dash 

 for his life. A dozen times a day the big 

 stranger came creeping up to where he slept, 

 but each time the watchful Rag awoke in time 

 to escape. To escape yet not to escape. He 

 saved his life indeed, but oh ! what a miserable 

 life it had become. How maddening to be 

 thus helpless, to see his little mother daily 

 beaten and torn, as well as to see all his favor- 

 ite feeding-grounds, the cosey nooks, and the 

 pathways he had made with so much labor, 

 forced from him by this hateful brute. Un- 

 happy Rag realized that to the victor belong 

 the spoils, and he hated him more than ever 

 he did fox or ferret. 



How was it to end? He was wearing out 

 with running and watching and bad food, and 

 little Molly's strength and spirit were break- 

 ing down under the long persecution. The 

 stranger was ready to go to all lengths to de- 

 stroy poor Rag, and at last stooped to the 

 worst crime known among rabbits. However 

 much they may hate each other, all good rab- 

 bits forget their feuds when their common 



