130 WOODLAND CREATURES 



stop indoors. And how she did romp, especially 

 in an evening ! She would gallop round and 

 round, rush at me, spring aside, leap and bound 

 in the air, and all so lightly and gracefully that 

 she was a joy to watch. Her antics seldom failed 

 to attract the tame wild ducks from the ponds; 

 by twos and threes they would come waddling 

 up, quacking earnestly to one another as they 

 did so, and evidently bent on seeing what manner 

 of strange creature it might be that was rushing 

 about in this wild way. When they came near 

 Toby would make dashes at them, scattering 

 them in all directions, but back they came as soon 

 as they had recovered from their fright, for she 

 exercised the greatest fascination over them. Not 

 even a strange dog had so potent an effect. I 

 was afraid lest she should one day kill a duck, 

 for she amused herself by doing elaborate stalks 

 and then springing at them, but her mimic hunting 

 did not materialize into anything serious. 



Toby also had great fun with the cats and dogs, 

 though not one of them really liked her. She 

 had no respect for them, and took liberties with 

 their persons which they could not forgive. She 

 would rush up and bite them. The nip might 

 be only a playful pinch, but there could be no 

 doubt that the recipients saw little fun in it, 

 and what was worse, when they retaliated, they 

 got into trouble with me. When a cat smacked 

 back, or a dog growled, I rated them ; for the 

 cub was hardly old enough, or strong enough, to 

 hold her own in the event of real strife. The 



