48 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



each sagaciously chosen place, and exposed the black earth 

 beneath, so that our tempting bait might show from afar. 

 Then was the trap placed over it on the bare spot, and set 

 with such careful nicety ! Now with many a wistful look 

 behind to see if the birds were not at it already, we went on 

 to set the next. 



When this first and most important business was got 

 through with, then came hare hunting under the snow. 



Ah, that was the sport! Molly Cotton would sit still 

 wherever the storm overtook her, and when the snow began 

 to cover her over, she would keep crowding, and pushing 

 gently back and forth, pressing it to one side until she had 

 formed a roomy little chamber all about her. The snow 

 would go on heaping and heaping until a domed arch grew 

 over all with just one little round hole, kept open through its 

 top by the warm air of her breathing — and there she would 

 sit, snug as a Russian Princess, in her palace of ice, and 

 dreaming of luscious cabbage leaves and tender apple-shoots 

 in the neighboring garden. But Molly's golden visions were 

 as subject to be rudely dispelled as those of other people ! 



See ! Mile's keen nose has scented one of those very breath- 

 ing-holes on the smooth, glistening surface of the snow — ^he 

 has stopped suddenly on the plunge, with his foot raised ! 

 " Steady ! steady, boy !" We are up with him in long leaps ! 

 Now for it! "Hie on, boy!" and belter, skelter, here we 

 come ! I, Milo, Pompey, all together, tumbling heels oyer 

 head upon the snowy roof of Mistress Molly's palace ! There 

 she is — I feel the soft, warm fur ! Squeak ! quai ! quai ! 

 quai ! — her plaintive cry sings out ; we have her ! " Hold 

 hard, Pompey; she kicks so with her strong hind-legs that 

 she will surely get away ! — Down, you Milo ! — There now ! — 

 we have her tied — she is secure !" 



Every hour or two the traps near at hand are visited, and 

 those at a distance twice a day. We start upon our round. 

 From afar we can see that one is down 1 My heart jumps ! 



