ind
a better right.

During the time of the January thaw the Olifants had cut the rest of the
large wood about the pond and curtailed the Cottontails' domain on all
sides. But they still clung to the dwindling Swamp, for it was their
home and they were loath to move to foreign parts. Their life of daily
perils went on, but they were still fleet of foot, long of wind, and
bright of wit. Of late they had been somewhat troubled by a mink that
had wandered upstream to their quiet nook. A little judicious guidance
had transferred the uncomfortable visitor to Olifant's hen-house. But
they were not yet quite sure that he had been properly looked after.
So for the present they gave up using the ground-holes, which were, of
course, dangerous blind-alleys, and stuck closer than ever to the briers
and the brush-piles that were left.

That first snow had quite gone and the weather was bright and warm until
now. Molly, feeling a touch of rheumatism, was somewhere in the lower
thicket seeking a teaberry tonic. Rag was sitting in the weak sunlight
on a bank in the east side. The smoke from the familiar gable chimney
of Olifant's house came fitfully drifting a pale blue haze through the
underwoods and showing as a dull brown against the brightness of the
sky. The sun-gilt gable was cut off midway by the banks of brier brush,
that, purple in shadow, shone like rods of blazing crimson and gold in
the light. Beyond the house the barn with its gable and roof, new gift
at the house, stood up like a Noah's ark.

The sounds that came from it, and yet more the delicious smell that
mingled with the smoke, told Rag that the animals were being fed cabbage
in the yard. Rags mouth watered at the idea of the feast. He blinked and
blinked as he snuffed its odorous promises, for he loved cabbage dearly.
But then he had been to the barnyard the night before after a few paltry
clover-tops, and no wise rabbit would go two nights running to the same
place.

Therefore he did the wise thing. He moved across where he could not
smell the cabbage axed made his supper of a bundle of hay that had been
blown from the stack. Later, when about to settle for the night, he was
joined by Molly, who had taken her teaberry and then eaten her frugal
meal of sweet birch near the Sunning Bank.

Meanwhile the sun had gone about his business elsewhere, taking all
his gold and glory with him. Off in the east a big black shutter came
pushing up and rising higher and high