d hate, defiance, courage, and
savage question.

Seen thus near together, catamount by lucerfee, they were obviously
akin, yet markedly different. The cat was heavier in the body,
outweighing his rival by perhaps not far from ten pounds, but with
shorter and more gracefully shaped legs, and smaller feet. His head
was more arched, seeming to indicate a greater intelligence, and his
flaming eyes were set wider apart; but his mouth was smaller, his
fangs less long and punishing. His fur was of a browner, warmer hue
than that of the lynx, whose gray had a half-invisible ghostliness in
the moonlight. The tails of both were ridiculously short, not six
inches in length, but that of the catamount was straight and stiff,
while that of the lucerfee had a curious upward twist that somehow
mocked the contortions of his huge and overlong hind legs. The eyes of
the lynx, under his flatter forehead, were the more piercing, the less
blazing. Altogether the great wildcat was the more beautiful of the
two beasts, the more intelligent, the more adaptable and resourceful.
But the lynx, with his big, uncouth, hind quarters, and great legs
gathered under him, and exaggerated paws, looked to be the more
formidable fighting machine.

Thus, unstirring, they eyed each other. Then with a strident screech
that seemed to tear the spell of the night to tatters, the gray body
of the lynx shot through the air. It landed, not upon the catamount,
but squarely upon the carcass of the doe, where, a fraction of a
second before, the catamount had stood. The wary intruder had not
waited to endure the full shock of that charge, but lightly as a puff
of down had leaped aside. The next instant he had pounced, with a yowl
of defiance, straight for the lynx's neck.

Lightning quick though he was, the lynx recovered in time to meet the
attack with deadly counter-stroke of bared claws, parrying like a
skilled boxer. In this forearm work the catamount, lighter of paw and
talon, suffered the more; and being quick to perceive his adversary's
advantage, he sought to force a close grapple. This the lynx at first
avoided, rending and punishing frightfully as he gave ground; while
the solemn height of old Ringwaak was shocked by a clamour of spitting
and raucous yowling that sent every sleepy bird fluttering in terror
from its nest.

Suddenly, perceiving that the lynx was backing dangerously close to
the face of the rock, the great cat sprang, took a frightful, rippi