58 



WINTER 



as to seem like the prints of a single foot. " That 's*' 

 a weasel's trail," I said, "the death's-head at this 

 "feast," and followed it slowly to the pile of wood. A 

 shiver crept over me as I felt, even sooner than I 

 saw, a pair of small, sinister eyes fixed upon mine. 





The evil pointed head, heavy but alert, and with 

 suggestion of fierce strength out of all proportion to. 

 the slender body, was watching me from between 

 the sticks of cord-wood. And just so had it been 

 watching the mice and the rabbits and the birds 

 feasting under the tree! 



I packed a ball of snow round and hard, slipped 

 forward upon my knees and hurled it. Spat! it 

 struck the end of a stick within an inch of the ugly 

 ' head, nearly filling the crevice with snow. Instantly 

 the head appeared at another crack, and another ball 



