BOBBY LYNX OF KOUND-TOP 39 
time. Mother Lynx did not know it,— 
but food had been just as scarce for the 
wolves way back in the mountains as for 
the little Forest-folk on Round-Top. So 
hungry had they grown that small bands 
of them had crept down onto the Plains, 
hiding in the woods along the Long Pond, 
venturing out occasionally to catch some 
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stray sheep or cow near the scattered set¬ 
tlements at the far end of the valley. 
Always cowardly when travelling alone, 
the wolf hunts in packs when he goes out 
for food, and Mother Lynx scarcely 
moved a whisker as she watched the wolf 
steal slowly and cautiously down the path. 
Almost at any moment she expected to 
see another and yet another of these grey 
shapes glide along, so she kept perfectly 
still, as well she knew that even her pow¬ 
erful claws and teeth would avail her noth¬ 
ing against a whole pack. But this wolf 
was all alone. Separated from his pack, 
