ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



One bright moonlight night the following 

 week the unpleasant odor of a skunk was notice- 

 able in the yard. The next morning but two 

 of the young rabbits were left to tell the story. 

 Skunks are very fond of young rabbits and kill 

 numbers of them. Shortly after this a red- 

 shouldered hawk sailed around over the yard 

 greatly alarming the barn fowls, but it was not 

 for the farmer's chickens his sharp eyes were 

 peering down at this time. Out in the open 

 beside a piece of sod almost the same color as 

 the animal, sat a trembling little rabbit humped 

 and motionless, instinctively trusting to protec- 

 tive coloration. But the hawk saw it and knew 

 that it was not a part of the sod, but a dainty 

 morsel which she desired. In a moment she 

 swooped down with her graceful wings upon the 

 gentle, inexperienced little rabbit and bore it 

 away through the air. The farmer placed a box- 

 trap for the other one, caught it and undertook 

 to tame it ; but as soon as the rabbit was large 

 enough it cleared a four-foot enclosure in which 

 it was confined and made off across the prairie 

 to take chances of life with its natural freedom. 

 A new dog came to live at the farm and made 

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