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 lake 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 
185 
