even if, he thought, he should
escape again all the dangers they had so narrowly but just come through
together, what lay at the end of it all? A little blackened heap of
ashes, the mockery of Munza-mulgar, and his mother's speechless and
sorrowful ghost. What's more, while he sat idly nibbling his nuts, for
his tongue had suddenly wearied of the luscious ground-fruit, he saw
moving between the rocks no sweeter company than a she-leopard gazing
grinningly on him where he sat beneath his rock.

Now, these leopards, made cunning by experience, and knowing that a
Mulla-mulgar will fight long and bravely for his life, if, when they are
hunting alone, they spy out such a one alone, too, they trot softly back
until they meet with another of their kind. Then, with purring and
clashing of whiskers, they come to a sworn and friendly understanding
together, sharing out their supper-meat before they have so much as
sharpened their claws. Then at nightfall both go hunting their prey in
harmony together. Thimble well knew this crafty and evil practice, and
when dusk fell, he listened and watched without stirring. And soon, over
the snow, he heard the faint mewings and coughings of his enemies, both
shes, of wonderful clear, dark Roses, coming on as thievishly and as
softly towards him as a cat in search of her kittens. So he tore off a
little strip of his tattered red jacket and laid it in the snow. Then
away he scuttled till he must needs pause to breathe himself beneath a
farther rock.

Meanwhile the ravenous huntresses, having come to the strip of
Mulgar-scented rag, of their natures had to stop and sniff and to
disport themselves with that awhile, as if to smell a dinner cooking is
to enjoy it more when cooked. This done, they once more set forward with
sharper hunger along Thimble's track. Three times did Thimble so play
with them, and at the third appetizing rag the leopards, famished and
over-eager, hardly paused at all over his keepsake, but came swiftly
coursing after him. And the first, that (of her own craft) was much the
younger and fleeter, soon out-distanced her hunting-mate, the which was
exactly the reason of Thimble's trickery with his red flag. For when,
panting and alone, the first Roses had got well ahead of the other,
Thimble dashed suddenly out upon her from a rock, and before she could
bare her teeth, he had caught her forefoot between his grinding jaws and
bitten it clean to the bone. It spoilt poor Roses' t