CHAPTER VIII 



THE COLD SLEEP 



?EXT day there was a driving 

 storm of snow, and whether 

 the sun came up or not 

 Bannertail did not know. 

 He kept his nest, and, fall- 

 ing back on an ancient spend-time of the 

 folk he kins with, he curled up into a 

 sleep that deepened with the cold. This 

 is partly a deliberate sleep. The animal 

 voluntarily lets go, knowing that life out- 

 side is unattractive; he, by an act of the 

 will, induces the cold sleep, that is like 

 a chapter of forgetfulness, with neither 

 hunger nor desire, and after it is over, 

 no pain in punishment or remorse. 



For two days the storm raged, and 



[51] 



