THE STOAT'S HUNTING 237 



have often seen the last act of the tragedy. One 

 hunted rabbit made for the shelter of young under- 

 wood, cleverly twisting amid the jungle 

 The ^ o f fern, grass, and bramble, so that 

 Hunting tne leaping stoat could have been guided 

 only by scent ; the rabbit seemed to 

 understand that the hollowness of the bottom of old 

 wood offered few chances of dodging. At last the 

 rabbit grew exhausted ; and, at a loss to know where 

 to run to shake off its pursuer, but a few yards behind, 

 took to turning and twisting with redoubled energy, 

 now rounding a leafy stump, then dashing into a 

 clump of brambles, doubling, again rounding the 

 stump, again flashing through the brambles then 

 sitting up for a second, listening to hear if the stoat 

 were still following. The stoat, thus baulked again 

 and again, grew ever more furious. Coming up on 

 the hot scent to the leafy stump, round which the 

 rabbit had slipped in the nick of time, it would dash in 

 so furiously as to make the brown leaves rattle off, 

 as a terrier leaps at a rabbit's seat from which the 

 owner has just fled. The burning scent throws the 

 pursuer into a frenzy. But the stoat, with a chatter 

 of rage, lost little time in following on into the bramble 

 clump ; and the sight of man near by was not enough 

 to turn it from its object. At last, in the brambles, 

 it came upon the rabbit dead-beat charged in a blind 

 fury, sank its teeth into the head, worrying home the 

 grip. Then, having disabled the rabbit, it retired 

 a yard or two and charged again, retiring and charging 



