128 FLUFF-BUTTON THE RABBIT 
mysterious as a forest pool ; and drowned the stars, 
until only one great white one survived, and blinked 
down like a wicked eye. Fluff-Button hopped away 
evidently expecting his mate to follow him, and was 
much perplexed to find that she was unable to do 
so. He sniffed her all over carefully, beseeching 
her to accompany him. Cuni tried her best, but in 
vain, and lay down panting. Fluff-Button became 
seriously annoyed. He was not used to disobedience, 
and it must be told that he kicked his mate hard 
with his strong hind leg. Finding that this did no 
good, he became alarmed. Wild creatures hate 
and fear the unknown, and Cuni's predicament 
was a most uncanny thing to rabbit ideas. Fluff- 
Button hopped away and began to feed doubtfully 
on an old turnip rind some thirty yards off, and 
took no notice of his mate's signals and struggles. 
At last Cuni lay still and watched him. Nature 
is kind to her wild children, and after the first biting 
coldness of the snow sends a blessed lethargy which 
soothes away the pain. Cuni was fast drifting into 
this dreamy state when her senses suddenly returned 
to her and she sat up alertly. Silhouetted against 
the white field stole a lithe form pads which made 
no noise, eyes gleaming faintly red, ears cocked 
forward towards the prey ahead of him in the 
snow, while the moonlight laid a long grotesque 
