62 



was not dead under the light paw, as they 

 supposed, but only pressed into the moss 

 waiting for his chance to jump. Then the 

 cubs learned another lesson: to hold their 

 game down with both paws pressed closely 

 together, inserting their noses like a wedge 

 and keeping every crack of escape shut tight 

 until they had the slippery morsel safe under 

 their back teeth. And even, then it was deli- 

 riously funny to watch their expression as 

 they chewed, opening their jaws wide as if 

 swallowing a rabbit, snapping them shut again 

 as the grasshopper wiggled; and always with 

 a doubt in their close-set eyes, a questioning 

 twist of head and ears, as if they were not 

 quite sure whether or not they were really 

 eating him. 



Another suggestive thing came out in 

 these hunts, which you must notice whether 

 you watch wolves or coyotes or a den of 

 fox cubs. Though no sound came from the 

 watchful old mother, the cubs seemed at 

 every instant under absolute control. One 

 would rush away pell-mell after a hopper, 

 miss him and tumble away again, till he was 





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