A PINCH OF SALT 



rushed to man for protection, that act would show 

 a degree of reason. The animal must think, and 

 weigh the pros and cons. But I am convinced that 

 the truth about such cases is this : The greater fear 

 drives out the lesser fear; the animal loses its head, 

 and becomes oblivious to everything but the enemy 

 that is pursuing it. The rat was so terrified at the 

 demon of a weasel that it had but one impulse, and 

 that was to hide somewhere. Doubtless had the bed 

 been empty, it would have taken refuge there just 

 the same. How could an animal know that a man 

 will protect it on special occasions, when ordinarily 

 it has exactly the opposite feeling? A deer hotly 

 pursued by a hound might rush into the barn-yard 

 or into the open door of the barn in sheer despera- 

 tion of uncontrollable terror. Then we should say 

 the creature knew the farmer would protect it, and 

 every woman who read the incident, and half the 

 men, would believe that that thought was in the 

 deer's mind. When the hunted deer rushes into 

 the lakfe or pond, it does so, of course, with a view 

 to escape its pursuers, and wherever it seeks refuge 

 this is its sole purpose. I can easily fancy a bird 

 pursued by a hawk darting into an open door or 

 window, not with the thought that the inmates of 

 the house will protect it, but in a panic of absolute 

 terror. Its fear is then centred upon something 

 behind it, not in front of it. 



When an animal does something necessary to its 

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