THE HARE, THE LYNX, AND THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

"Frank," began he, "has called his a `bird-adventure.' I might give
mine somewhat of the same title, for there was a bird mixed up with it--
the noblest of all birds--the eagle. But you shall hear it.

"On leaving the camp, I went, as you all know, up the valley. After
travelling for a quarter of a mile or so, I came upon a wide open
bottom, where there were some scattered willows and clumps of dwarf
birch-trees. As Luce had told me that such are the favourite food of
the American hare, or, as we call it in Louisiana, `rabbit,' I looked
out for the sign of one, and, sure enough, I soon came upon a track,
which I knew to be that of `puss.' It was fresh enough, and I followed
it. It kept me meandering about for a long while, till at last I saw
that it took a straight course for some thick brushwood, with two or
three low birches growing out of it. As I made sure of finding the game
there, I crept forward _very_ quietly, holding Marengo in the leash.
But the hare was not in the brush; and, after tramping all through it, I
again noticed the track where she had gone out on the opposite side. I
was about starting forth to follow it, when all at once an odd-looking
creature made its appearance right before me. It was that fellow
there!" And Basil pointed to the lynx. "I thought at first sight,"
continued he, "it was our Louisiana wild-cat or bay lynx, as Luce calls
it, for it is very like our cat; but I saw it was nearly twice as big,
and more greyish in the fur. Well, when I first sighted the creature,
it was about an hundred yards off. It hadn't seen me, though, for it
was not running away, but skulking along slowly--nearly crosswise to the
course of the hare's track--and looking in a different direction to that
in which I was. I was well screened behind the bushes, and that, no
doubt, prevented it from noticing me. At first I thought of running
forward, and setting Marengo after it. Then I determined on staying
where I was, and watching it a while. Perhaps it may come to a stop,
reflected I, and let me creep within shot. I remained, therefore,
crouching among the bushes, and kept the dog at my feet.

"As I continued to watch the cat, I saw that, instead of following a
straight line, it was moving in a circle!

"The diameter of this circle was not over an hundred yards; and in a
very short while the animal had got once round the circumference, and
came back t