48 Wilderness Ways. 



show just where she was. Kagax wriggled lower 

 among his helpless victims ; his eyes blazed red again, 

 so red that Mother Hare saw them and stopped short. 

 Then Kagax sat up straight among the dead babies 

 and screeched in her face. 



The poor creature never moved a step; she only 

 crouched low before her own door and began to 

 shiver violently. Kagax ran up to her ; raised himself 

 on his hind legs so as to place his fore paws on her 

 neck ; chose his favorite spot behind the ears, and bit. 

 The hare straightened out, the quivering ceased. A 

 tiny drop of blood followed the sharp teeth on either 

 side. Kagax licked it greedily and hurried away, 

 afraid to spoil his hunt by drinking. 



But he had scarcely entered the woods, running 

 heedlessly, when the moss by a great stone stirred 

 with a swift motion. There was a squeak of fright as 

 Kagax jumped forward like lightning — but too late. 

 Tookhees, the timid little wood mouse, who was dig- 

 ging under the moss for twin-flower roots to feed his 

 little ones, had heard the enemy coming, and dove 

 headlong into his hole, just in time to escape the snap 

 of Kagax's teeth. 



That angered the fiery little weasel like poking a 

 stick at him. To be caught napping, or to be heard 

 running through the woods, is more than he can pos- 



