HUNTER AND HUNTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1007, 25 June 1930, Page 16

HUNTER AND HUNTED

Second-prize Story Up on the hill, a clump of grass stirred cautiously, and a peering pair of eyes stared into the velvety blackness men called darkness. And then suddenly, swiftly, the head disappeared. a smudge flashed into sight for a moment and then vanished. Old Ragged-Ear, the fox, snarled with vexation, and sat down on his haunches. “That," he thought, “is the fourth time tonight I have just missed my supper. And” —viciously—“the last three times it has been that same spotted rabbit. I must be getting old. But a mere spotted rabbit is not going to get the better of me. Now which way did he go?” He straightened up, and sniffed. Next minute he was gone, slipping silently between the trees. Par away the spotted rabbit sat down and meditated. “Escaped him that time. Ha, Ha. Horrid old thing. He can follow my scent up, too. I’ll lead old Ragged-Ear a dance, and he won’t know it. And a tremor of excitement shook his soft side as he started nibbling daintily at a luxuriant clump of grass. The night was young and scented, and the golden rim of the moon just peeped over the horizon at the slumbering world. A light breeze rustled the shiny leaves and ruffled the rabbit’s soft fur. And even though the spotted rabbit seemed to be lost to everything except his meal, a gentle sound as of bushes swinging back as if someone had pushed past, did not escape his notice, and he sat up quickly, ears erect. The next moment the spotted rabbit whisked round and, with ears flat against his neck, raced away. But the fox was scarcely a second later, and he twisted his body round and was off after the rabbit, beautifully graceful and amazingly swift. Up a tortuously twisting track sped the little rabbit, something like fear beginning to dawn in the soft eyes. Just behind, a lean, red shadow strained every muscle to gain on the hurtling bundle of fur and speed. Then the rabbit, with a single, lithe twist of his body, doubled back on his tracks Evidently the fox expected this, for he, too, after a second’s hesitation, was speeding back the way they had come. Now he was drawing nearer The spotted rabbit could never keep up that pace. “Ah.” thought RaggedEar, “in a few seconds I’ll have him as I’ve had his father and grandfather before him.” i At that moment the rabbit, taking a last desperate chance, hurtled at a tiny gap in the undergrowth, and sped on. Soon, soon, he knew. Ragged-Ear would be close on him again and he would feel those cruel teeth closing He shuddered. . . Suddenly, ,he pulled up sharply, right on the edge of a deep pit in his pathway. It was not very wide and he could easily jump it if he went back a little way. He could easily have missed that. If only Ragged-Ear would miss seeing it. He stopped short, quivering with excitement. He would wait here till Ragged-Ear was almost on him and then leap forward, and the fox would not notice the pit and then . . A crashing in the undergrowth, and the next minute Ragged-Ear hurtled through. The spotted rabbit took a deep breath and, with a sudden leap landed safely on the other side. Ragged-Ear came speeding on when, suddenly, his flying form disappeared as he fell, with protesting screams, to the bottom. A deep silence fell. The trees crooned mournfully, a night-owl wailed, and the grass rustled. The spotted rabbit, trembling, crept to the edge of the pit and peered down. Far below Ragged-Ear, his neck broken lay. still beautiful, in death. The spotted rabbit had avenged his ancestors. The night wind sighed and the golden moon smiled —Maid of the Pines (Beryl Cranston)