e last, the fiercest, the attack of the
enemy who menaced his very home and hearth, was to be resisted. Then,
peace attained, arrested development would once more proceed.

Hilma looked from the carry-all, scanning the open plain in front of the
advancing line of the drive.

"Where are the rabbits?" she asked of Annixter. "I don't see any at
all."

"They are way ahead of us yet," he said. "Here, take the glasses."

He passed her his field glasses, and she adjusted them.

"Oh, yes," she cried, "I see. I can see five or six, but oh, so far
off."

"The beggars run 'way ahead, at first."

"I should say so. See them run,--little specks. Every now and then they
sit up, their ears straight up, in the air."

"Here, look, Hilma, there goes one close by."

From out of the ground apparently, some twenty yards distant, a
great jack sprang into view, bounding away with tremendous leaps, his
black-tipped ears erect. He disappeared, his grey body losing itself
against the grey of the ground.

"Oh, a big fellow."

"Hi, yonder's another."

"Yes, yes, oh, look at him run." From off the surface of the ground,
at first apparently empty of all life, and seemingly unable to afford
hiding place for so much as a field-mouse, jack-rabbits started up at
every moment as the line went forward. At first, they appeared singly
and at long intervals; then in twos and threes, as the drive continued
to advance. They leaped across the plain, and stopped in the distance,
sitting up with straight ears, then ran on again, were joined by others;
sank down flush to the soil--their ears flattened; started up again,
ran to the side, turned back once more, darted away with incredible
swiftness, and were lost to view only to be replaced by a score of
others.

Gradually, the number of jacks to be seen over the expanse of stubble in
front of the line of teams increased. Their antics were infinite. No two
acted precisely alike. Some lay stubbornly close in a little depression
between two clods, till the horses' hoofs were all but upon them,
then sprang out from their hiding-place at the last second. Others ran
forward but a few yards at a time, refusing to take flight, scenting a
greater danger before them than behind. Still others, forced up at the
last moment, doubled with lightning alacrity in their tracks, turning
back to scuttle between the teams, taking desperate chances. As often as
this occurred, it was the signal for a great uproar.

"Don