BIG REDDY, STRATEGIST 55 
cosy little cave under an overhang on a southern 
exposure. Here he dropped his burden, investi- 
gated carefully, found no odor of wildcat, and 
dragging in his game, sat down to a square meal. 
After that he curled up in a ball and slept. 
How long he had slept he didn’t know. It 
seemed but a few moments, for he was weary with 
his night’s tramp over the deep snow, when he 
was roused by the baying of hounds. His ears 
were instantly up, and he was out in front of his 
den, listening. The sound came nearer. There 
were one, two, hounds, and two other dogs. Yes, 
they were undoubtedly on his trail. Reddy cast 
his eyes around deliberately and his eves nar- 
rowed in thought. He was in a strange country, 
so they had him at a certain disadvantage. No 
doubt that same farmer and the boy with the gun 
—perhaps more men with guns now—would be 
behind the hounds, waiting for them to run him 
into view. He didn’t propose to be run into 
view. He thought of the first principle his par- 
ents had taught him, and, making sure he had 
time for the manceuvre, he sprang straight up the 
ledges above his den for two hundred yards, then 
