

AN EYE FOR AN EYE. 
MELEAGRO. 
It was a clear cold night late in Janvary. 
A full moon, shining on the fields of snow, 
unbroken save by patches of evergreen and 
maple forest, made the night almost as light 
as day. A hardly perceptible wind drifted 
from the North, causing the tall tree tops 
to sway lazily to the accompaniment of a 
gentle moaning. In a hollow among some 
young hemlocks, with the large, dark woods 
on both sides, sat a rabbit, attentively lis- 
ATTENTIVELY LISTENING. 
tening to something moving in the depths 
of the gloomy forest. The spot was a na- 
tural enclosure. 
everything was in another world, for all 
that human senses could detect. The rab- 
bit, however, was greatly interested in 
something there in the woods, and signi- 
fied his curiosity by his fixed position. Sit- 
ting on his haunches with his ears inclined 
slightly forward, he looked much like the 
stump near which he was stationed. He 
remained thus several minutes, and then 
quietly resumed his feeding, digging holes 
in the snow wherever his nose told him 
there lay some delicate morsel. Still he 

Beyond its hemlock wall ' 
seemed ever on his guard, keeping one ear 
in a listening attitude. 
On the other side of the border of ever- 
greens, in the dark woods, crouched a 
larger form. It lay at full length on the 
snow, its whole attitude showing intense 
excitement. Slowly and with utmost pre- 
caution it glided forward. So steady were 
its movements that they were almost im- 
perceptible. It raised one dark fore foot, 
placed it before the other, keeping its head 
pointed in the same direction and its tail 
and back on a level. It was a fox, witha 
dinner in sight, or, more correctly, in 
scent. Never did animal take more pains, 
and never was there a more beautiful crea- 
ture than this fox, stalking his dinner; 
every line of his body a natural curve, and 
the whole the emblem of crafty grace. 
Slowly he approached the border of the 
moonlit glade. Carefully he placed his feet, 
that they might make no sound; for the 
slightest misstep would mean the loss of 
his dinner, and he was hungry. <A low 
murmuring arose from the forest, a gentle 
swaying of the tree tops, although below, 
where fed the rabbit, all alert, but still un- 
conscious, and where crouched the fox, 
all eagerness, not a breath stirred. From 
the distance the long, faint howl of a fox 
hound restrained in his kennel and anx- 
ious for the hunt, came drifting. The fox 
heard, and the hair above his shoulder 
blades rose slightly, but otherwise he cared 
not. He was at the edge of the open, his 
nose moving restlessly and glistening in 
its moisture, beyond the protection of the 
guarding hemlock boughs. A few feet dis- 
tant sat the rabbit and the sight of that de- 
liclous morsel made the fox’s eyes glitter 
more savagely. Slowly he crept from out 
his covering, and crouched for the spring. 
An owl in the distance uttered its quaver- 
ing whistle, the rabbit sat up to listen. 
There was a quick rustling near the hem- 
locks, and a great, furry object hurled it- 
self at the surprised rabbit, which quickly 
turned and fled. The snow was deep and 
the rabbit was thus handicapped; while the 
fox, a personification of feathery swift- 
ness, straining every muscle, flew over the 
white softness and came up with the pur- 
sued. There was a scream, a snarl, a sig- 
nificant crunching and then all was quiet, 
while from the distance came again the 
owl's querulous moan. 
Then, without a sound the fox stalked 
back to the edge of the woods, something 
hanging from his jaws. As the howl of the 
restless hound came again to his ears, he 
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