lightning-thrust at the brain's base,
which, like the sword-stroke that ends the bull-fight, dropped the
victim as if struck by electricity.

And then he had whirled, and darted headlong for the reeds. He
galloped in an odd, jumpy, sidelong gallop, as if he were a sort of
glorified wild dachshund.

It did not take him long to inspect the reed-patch, to search it from
end to end with his nose. His mind was soon made up to the fact that
the wretched leverets had vanished, and that no scenting of his keen
nose could find them. They had gone, evidently, quitted, like the pair
of obedient children that they were, while their mother was cleverly
holding the foe, and making demonstrations in his front. And now the
pair of them were probably far away, lost past all finding among the
mazes of the fields. And there was nothing for him to do but go and
dine upon the old hare, which he did, taking, according to his custom,
little more than a bite and a sip before passing on.

Then he turned and meandered off on the war-path. And this was a
serious business, and a busy one. It was downright hard labor, for he
worked his ground properly and for all it was worth, having a lot to
kill, and not much time to kill it in.

At times he sat bolt-upright, and stared knowingly around--because his
short legs gave him such a limited view otherwise. At times he climbed
a mole-heap. At other times he hunted head down--and again one noticed
the hound-like manner--in every possible direction, questing, casting
here, casting there, working back, throwing forward, describing
circles, and poking into and out of every reed-patch, bramble-heap,
furze-clump, or other bit of cover that that coverless land offered.

And then suddenly he stopped. And then suddenly he ran forward. And
then suddenly, the scent carrying him right smack-bang out into the
open, he dropped flat and began to crawl.

He crept and he crept and he crept across that absolutely bare, flat
ground, with never a tuft of fur or a feather of a single live thing
upon it to be seen, till one might have thought that he had gone mad,
and was stalking an illusion--as many, not beasts, have done before
him; only they were men, and blew their brains out--or went bankrupt
instead--afterwards.

Finally he stopped. And this was the oddest thing of all, because, if
any creature could show intense excitement without showing it--that is
to say, without muscle, eyelid, hair, or limb mo