her eagerness, however, she forgot the
barbed tail which dealt her a smashing blow, full in the face. One of
the quills mercifully penetrated the brain and at once put an end to the
painful struggles. Thus the male lynx was left to walk the trails alone,
but in spite of the odds against him, he succeeded in holding his own.

The beginning of March saw no break in the intense cold. In fact, March
in the wilderness is the most bitter month of the winter. Food is
reduced to a minimum and the survivors of cold and hunger are
exceedingly wary.

One night when the moon, far off in a cloudless sky, sent pale fingers
of mysterious light creeping down the dark forest lanes, the surviving
lynx appeared in his endless search for food, his huge pads making no
sound as he kept himself cunningly concealed among the shifting shadows.
The hush of death brooded over the frozen forest, a hush in which the
scratching of a dry leaf across the icy snow crust could be plainly
heard for some distance. Occasionally the silence was broken by a loud
report from some great tree.

The lynx drifted on, seeking vainly for food to stay his fierce
appetite. Suddenly he crouched close to the ground, startled, as a
weird, hollow cry rang out just above him. It was the voice of doom for
many smaller creatures but not for the lynx. As the great owl drifted
by on soundless wings, the animal snarled but went on his way.

At length he paused again to listen. Far away a mournful howl rose on
the still air and died away, only to be taken up by another and another.
At the sound the hair bristled upon the back of the listener. It was the
cry of the wolf pack.

Now the lynx hesitated, uncertain whether to ignore the sound or to make
good his escape. Since game had become scarce the wolves had taken to
hunting the lynxes. For a single wolf the big cat felt little fear, but
he realized that he would be no match for them hunting in packs.
Accordingly, much against his will, he turned back toward the den,
stopping occasionally to listen, the tassels of dark hairs upon his ears
standing stiffly erect and his pale eyes gleaming fiercely.

It soon became apparent that the pack was coming rapidly closer and in
another moment had caught the scent. On they came, silent and swift,
until they sighted their quarry among the trees. Then they broke into
full cry. The lynx, knowing that he could not hope to escape them upon
the ground, hastily scrambled up a tree where, c