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thrown out on the snow ; behind him the 

 cat, creeping nearer and nearer, had crouched 

 with blazing eyes and quivering muscles, 7(ookoos/coos 

 her whole attention fixed on the spring, 

 when broad wings shot silently over my hid- 

 ing place and fell Hke a shadow on the cat. 

 One set of strong claws gripped her behind 

 the ears ; the others were fastened like a 

 vise in the spine. Generally one such grip 

 is enough, but the cat was strong, and at the 

 first touch sprang away. In a moment the 

 owl was after her, floating, 

 hovering above, till the right 

 moment came, when he 

 dropped and struck again. Then 

 the cat whirled and fought like a 

 fury. For a few moments there 

 was a desperate battle, fur and 

 feathers flying, the cat screeching 

 like mad, the owl silent as death. 

 Then the great claws did their 

 work. When I straightened up 

 from my thicket, Kookooskoos was 

 standing on his game, tearing off 

 the flesh with his feet, and carrying 



