The Boy and the Lynx 
was a shame not to skin it when she “needed 
a fur-lined cape for the winter.” 
On another day Thor had gone without a 
gun, as he meant only to gather some curious 
plants he had seen. ‘They were close to the 
clearing ; he knew the place by a fallen elm. As 
he came to it he heard a peculiar sound. Then 
on the log his eye caught two moving things. 
He lifted a bough and got aclear view. They 
were the head and tail of an enormous Lynx. 
Ithad seen him and was glaring and grumbling ; 
and under its foot on the log was a white bird 
that a second glance showed to be one of their 
own precious hens. How fierce and cruel the 
brute looked! How Thor hated it! and fairly 
gnashed his teeth with disgust that now, when 
his greatest chance was come, he for once was 
without his gun. He was in not a little fear, 
too, and stood wondering what to do. The 
Lynx growled louder; its stumpy tail twitched 
viciously for a minute, then it picked up its 
victim, and leaping from the log was lost to 
view. 
As it was a very rainy summer, the ground 
was soft everywhere, and the young hunter 
184 
