38 SUMMER 



like his shadow, leaped into the air after him for the 

 hole. 



He was as quick as thought, quicker than either of 

 the hounds. He sprang high over them, safely over 

 them, we thought, when, in mid-air, at the turn of 

 the dive, he twisted, heeled half-over, and landed hard 

 against the side of the hole ; and the wolfhound 

 pulled him down. 



It was over ; but there was something strange, al- 

 most unfair, it seemed, about the finish. 



Before we got down to the cove both of the dogs 

 had slunk back, cowering from the dead coyote. 

 Then there came to us the buzz of a rattlesnake 

 a huge, angry reptile that lay coiled in the mouth of 

 the hole. The rabbit had struck and roused the 

 snake. The coyote in his leap had caught the warn- 

 ing whir, but caught it too late to clear both snake 

 and hounds. His twist in the air to clear the snake 

 had cost him his life. So close is the race in the des- 

 ert world. 



