Upwttkis the Shadow. 1 1 3 



far from your fire. His eyes blaze out at you from the 

 darkness, just two big glowing spots, which are all you 

 see, and which disappear at your first motion. Then 

 as you strain your eyes, and watch and listen, you feel 

 the coals upon you again from another place; and 

 there they are, under a bush on your left, creeping 

 closer and blazing deep red. They disappear suddenly 

 as the lynx turns his head, only to reappear and fasci- 

 nate you from another point. So he plays with you 

 as if you were a great mouse, creeping closer all the 

 time, swishing his stub tail fiercely to lash himself up 

 to the courage point of springing. But his movements 

 are so still and shadowy that unless he follows you as 

 you back away to the fire, and so comes within the 

 circle of light, the chances are that you will never 

 see him. 



Indeed the chances are always that way, day or 

 night, unless you turn hunter and set a trap for him in 

 the rabbit paths which he follows nightly, and hang a 

 bait over it to make him look up and forget his steps. 

 In summer he goes to the burned lands for the rabbits 

 that swarm in the thickets, and to rear his young in 

 seclusion. You find his tracks there all about, and the 

 marks of his killing ; but though you watch and prowl 

 all day and come home in the twilight, you will learn 

 little. He hears you and skulks away amid the lights 



