El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-03-12
The HeraId's Daily
Short Story

stretch himself out. He noped LndI
the deep snow would cut down the
hare's speed-nOt knowing that the
lighter hare could run on top Wnefe
he sank UP to the tops OF MS olack
Nevertheless he did not gather moss
in chasing that hare. He came on IKE
a whirlwInd. AMI before anybody had
realized It. was racing right over the
squatung ptarmlgan- II looheo ds
IL a mine charge had suddenly gone OH
under the snow, for the birds tiuttered
up IN his face and all about MIN was
a terrible Wh1rr.
The fox was almost for a second as
much startled as the ptarmig an-out
only for a second In the next second
he had leapt high in the air and
snatched one down; ana IN DONG 50
saved the hare's life
Meanwhile the hare raced on In
few minutes he was mile away IN q
patch OF snOw-choked heather-you
could only see the tops OF tt-diggine
with his fOrepaws for grass seeds
Hunger worried him in such weather
almost more than the munger OF MS
enemies, for most of his food was IN
der the snow and had to be dug for
Then the night came dOwn-moon-
light starry and still, and cold as cold
The hare woke up, and lolloped down
ward to a fir wood which upreared
quiet as a church in a ghostly white
glare. He was not the only hare go
ing in that direction Every long
earned. white one on the mountain
seemed to be moving down to the wood
to feed on the firm cones that could
be dug up out Of the snow with little
trouble-the snow being shallow in the
shelter Of the trees-and to dance the
snow dance in the open spaces
They came in twos and threes, look
ing for all the world like ghosts fitting
up the avenues between the pine holes.
As our hare cantered lightly along
he passed them in little groups under
the snOW-laden bOughs digging away
and feeding; and presently he, too,
Then. when all were fun fed, he went
with the rest to the big clearing In the
middle Of the wood, there to gambOl
and play with his friends And II was
here, while he was racing around for
fun that the last Of the white winter
folks Of the mountains came.
All you would have noticed creeping
up to the clearing, was black spot
and two red glowing dots. That was
the blood-thirsty stoat, whose winter
name is ermine in his snow dress, the
black dot was the tuft on the end OF
his tail, and the glowing red dots his
eyes.
He landed in the midst Of the hares
without warning, and very swiftly.
Every hare gave a side-iOng jump ana
sped off at that speed which only a
hare can summon up. Our own hare
gave a sidelong jump with the rest, but
so did the ermine He anticipated 1t,
for ne was, you remem Der, the only
other creature in the wild capable o.
doing So
Long. low, quick and silent he sprang
and sprang again. each spring coin
Gliding with our hare's spring. &c
never gave the hare a chance to get
away and show his matciless speed.
At the third spring he was on the
hare's back, with his teeth at the base
Of the latter's neck.
Followed then a prolonged and won
derfully baby-like scream, and-si-
lence. The hare was dead-dead in a
single bite. and the ermine was feed
ing on his blood After all, you must
not blame the ermine He had to live
somehow, since all creatures are not
made TO feed alike.