Evening star., 1937-07-29


Than relatives that hate and night.
Old Mother Nature.
THE great world contained no more
badly scared baby than was
Mother Bears lost cub as he stared
at the hungry, cruel greenish eyes
OF Tufty the Lynx, glaring at him
not more than two good jumps away.
To run was useless Anyway, the
little cub was too frightened to run.
He was too frightened to move. He
was too frightened to move or even
cry. All he could do was to stare in
terror at those two dreadful eyes.
Now, Tufty the Lynx is nothing if
not cautious. Here was wee Bear
whom he could kill easily. 1t would
make him a splendid dinner. There
appeared to be no reason, no reason
at all, why he shouldn't have that
dinner right now. But Tufty hesi-
tated. He wanted first to be abso-
lutely sure that Mother Bear was
nowhere about. He was afraid of
Mother Bear, and with reason.
Tufty has good ears. He had been
quite distance away when he had
first heard the cub crying as he ran
through the Green Forest, trying to
find Mother Bear. Instantly Tufty
had stopped to listen. That's a
Bear cub. and he is lost" thought
Tufty. If his mother isn't within
hearing he is likely to get himself
still more lost. He must be a verv
little fellow, and very good eating.
This will be worth looking into. 1t
certainly will" -..
So In his usual stealthy fashion
Tufty began to stalk that crying cub.
stopping every few steps to look. listen
ana silently test the air for sight or
sound or smell of Mother Bear. When
the cub, tired out, had curled IN to
rest and had cried himself to sleep
Iutty had been not far away. Then
as the little Bear had whimpered and
cried in his sleep Tuft- crept to within
couple OF jumps of the little sleeper,
and there he had watched and
tWltched his stub of a tail and tried
TO forget that there was usch a person
as Mother Bear. and while he still
hesitated the cub awoke.
Tufty had just made up his mind
that at present there was nothing
to fear from Mother Bear, and that
the sooner he caught that cub the
better. when he became aware of
the stealthy approach of some one
else. The look in his eyes became
still uglier, if that were possible, as
ne turned to face the newcomer.
presently a round head very much
like his own, but without the big
TUFTS OF hair on the tips of the ears
and with less of a face ruff, appeared
from behind big rock. It was his
cousin, YoWler the Bobcat.
The two cousins glared at each
other. There was hate in the eyes of
each. There they we're, own cousins,
yet each hating the other and showing
1t. Tufty knew at once what had
brought Yowler there. He, too, had
heard the crying Of the cub and had
recognized possible opportunity for
himself.
Hes mine!" snarled Tufty. II got
here first"
Yowler twitched his stubby tail
angrily, laid his ears fiat back, showed
all his teeth, dug his sharp claws into
the ground and snarled: HE isn't
yours. You haven't taken him yet, and
you are not going to take him If I
have anything to say about the mat
ter. I came over here after that cub.
and II you think you can prevent me
taking him just think again"
Now the two cousins were very
nearly OF size, and if the truth were
known each had considerable respect
Tor the other as a fighter. Neither
really wanted to fight the other So
each tried to bluff. Such snarling
and splitting as there was! Such a
growing and yowllng! They had quite
forgotten that Mother Bear might be
somewhere about. For the time being
they even forgot the object Of their
quarrel, the Bear cub.
Both had stubby tails, hardly worth
calling tails: But they were big enough
10 twitch, and they were twitched.
Fuma the Panther never twitched the
end OF his long tail more vigorously
IMAM these two stubs Of tails were
tw1tched. II you ever see Yowler the
boocat or Tufty the Lynx and are un-
certain which you are looking at, take
notice Of the tail. If 1t is black all the
way around at the end, you may know
that you are looking at Tufty the Can
ada Lynx. If the tip Of the tail is black
above and white below you are making
the ACQUAINTANCE of Ynwler the Roh