112 Wilderness Ways. 



in whose shadow you stand; and, once in a hunter's 

 Hfetime perhaps, you will see a curious tragedy. 



The lynx settles himself in the snow, with all four 

 feet close together, ready for a spring. As you watch 

 and wonder, a screech rings out through the woods, so 

 sharp and fierce that no rabbit's nerves can stand it 

 close athand and be still. Moktaques jumps straight 

 up in the air. The lynx sees it, whirls, hurls himself 

 at the spot. Another screech, a different one, and then 

 you know that it 's all over. 



And that is why Upweekis' cry is so fierce and 

 sudden on a winter night. Your fire attracts the rab- 

 bits. Upweekis knows this, or is perhaps attracted 

 himself and comes also, and hides among the shadows. 

 But he never catches anything unless he blunders onto 

 it. That is why he wanders so much in winter and 

 passes twenty rabbits before he catches one. So when 

 he knows that Moktaques is near, watching the light, 

 but remaining himself invisible, Upweekis crouches 

 for a spring ; then he screeches fearfully. Moktaques 

 hears it and is startled, as anybody else would be, hear- 

 ing such a cry near him. He jumps in a fright and 

 pays the penalty. 



If the lynx is a big one, and very hungry, as he gen- 

 erally is in winter, you may get some unpleasant 

 impressions of him in another way when you venture 



