speech as we understand it, but they have a way of
conveying ideas by a system of sounds, signs, scents, whisker-touches,
movements, and example that answers the purpose of speech; and it must
be remembered that though in telling this story I freely translate from
rabbit into English, _I repeat nothing that they did not say_.

I

The rank swamp grass bent over and concealed the snug nest where
Raggylug's mother had hidden him. She had partly covered him with some
of the bedding, and, as always, her last warning was to 'lay low and say
nothing, whatever happens.' Though tucked in bed, he was wide awake and
his bright eyes were taking in that part of his little green world that
was straight above. A bluejay and a red-squirrel, two notorious thieves,
were loudly berating each other for stealing, and at one time Rag's home
bush was the centre of their fight; a yellow warbler caught a blue
butterfly but six inches from his nose, and a scarlet and black ladybug,
serenely waving her knobbed feelers, took a long walk up one grassblade,
down another, and across the nest and over Rag's face--and yet he never
moved nor even winked.

[Illustration: 'Mammy, Mammy!' he screamed, in mortal terror.]

After awhile he heard a strange rustling of the leaves in the near
thicket. It was an odd, continuous sound, and though it went this way
and that way and came ever nearer, there was no patter of feet with
it. Rag had lived his whole life in the swamp (he was three weeks old)
and yet had never heard anything like this. Of course his curiosity was
greatly aroused. His mother had cautioned him to lay low, but that was
understood to be in case of danger, and this strange sound without
footfalls could not be any to fear.

The low rasping went past close at hand, then to the right, then back,
and seemed going away. Rag felt he knew what he was about, he wasn't a
baby; it was his duty to learn what it was. He slowly raised his
roly-poly body on his short, fluffy legs, lifted his little round head
above the covering of his nest and peeped out into the woods. The sound
had ceased as soon as he moved. He saw nothing, so took one step forward
to a clear view, and instantly found himself face to face with an
enormous Black Serpent.

"Mammy," he screamed in mortal terror as the monster darted at him. With
all the strength of his tiny limbs he tried to run. But in a flash the
Snake had him by one ear and whipped around him with his coils t