THE Aroostook SABLE. 43 

end the chase, but rather enjoying it, and bunny’s wild frantic 
bouncing, toward the last, as the distance grows less between 
them, and the rabbit is near exhausted. 
Our worthy commodore ‘‘of the birch-bark squadron,” 
once witnessed a comical scene, while a sable was chasing a 
rabbit, when a partridge saved a rabbit’s life. He was out 
early one morning, after a light fall of snow, still hunting for 
a deer. When but a little way from camp as he stood leaning 
beside a tree watching the woodland o’er for a moment, a 
rabbit came jumping by him, and a sable close behind. 
Neither noticed the commodore as they passed him, and near 
at hand, as the rabbit was jumping between some low fir 
bushes which were half snowed under, he was struck under- 
neath by a fluttering partridge, which he had frightened out 
of his snow bed. The partridge (thinking no doubt but 
that reynard was after him again,) was kicked back by the 
rabbit, as the rabbit tumbled over in the snow with a piteous 
ery, sure that the sable had him at last; but finding his legs, 
he quickly disappeared, jumping high and dodging wide, as 
the frightened partridge whirred past him. The astonished 
sable disgusted at this new phase of the hunt, stopped sudden- 
ly, then turned on his back track. and was just leaping out of 
sight as the commodore turned to look for him. 
Sleeping rather late one quiet morning in camp, we were 
awakened by plaintive cries, quite loud at first, but soon sub- 
siding and ending. This we knew to be poor bunny, and 
that he was being killed by the fisher, fox, or sable. Getting 
up quietly, we took down the shotgun, and slipped into it a 
cartridge of buckshot, hoping the murderer might prove to 
be the indian devil (little panther, or cougar,) said to be 
occasionally on this range at this season, and crept out to the 
