54 JVays of Wood Folk. 



was hungry. The moon looked down into the Httle 

 clearing with its waving ferns and soft gray shadows, 

 and saw nothing there to suggest that it was the 

 rabbits' nursery. 



Down at the camp a new surprise was awaiting me. 

 Br'er Rabbit was under the tent fly, tugging away at 

 the salt bag which I had left there carelessly after 

 curing a bearskin. While he was absorbed in get- 

 ting it out from under the rubber blanket, I crept up 

 on hands and knees, aad stroked him once from ears 

 to tail. He jumped straight up with a startled scjueak, 

 whirled in the air, and came down facing me. So 

 we remained for a full moment, our faces scarcely two 

 feet apart, looking into each other's eyes. Then he 

 thumped the earth soundly with his left hind foot, to 

 show that he was not afraid, and scurried under the 

 fly and through the brakes in a half circle to a bush 

 at my heels, where he sat up straight in the shadow 

 to watch me. 



But I had seen enough for one night. I left a 

 generous pinch of salt where he could find it easily, 

 and crept in to sleep, leaving him to his own ample 

 devices. 



