as swooping down at
Shadow. So Juniper just kept still and watched with eyes almost popping
from his head with fear and excitement.

Shadow hadn't seen Whitey until just as Whitey was reaching for him with
his great cruel claws. Now if there is any one who can move more quickly
than Shadow the Weasel I don't know who it is. Whitey's claws closed on
nothing but snow; Shadow had dodged. Then began a game, Whitey swooping
and Shadow dodging, and all the time they were getting farther and
farther from where Jumper was.

The instant it was safe to do so, Jumper took to his long heels and the
way he disappeared, lipperty-lipperty-lip, was worth seeing. Whitey the
Snowy Owl had saved him from Shadow the Weasel and didn't know it. An
enemy had proved to be a friend.

CHAPTER XIII: Whitefoot Decides Quickly

Your mind made up a certain way
Be swift to act; do not delay.
--Whitefoot.

When Whitefoot had discovered Whitey the Snowy Owl, he had dodged down
in the little hole in the snow beside which he had been sitting. He had
not been badly frightened. But he was somewhat upset. Yes, sir, he was
somewhat upset. You see, he had so many enemies to watch out for, and
here was another.

"Just as if I didn't have troubles enough without having this white
robber to add to them," grumbled Whitefoot. "Why doesn't he stay where
he belongs, way up in the Far North? It must be that food is scarce up
there. Well, now that I know he is here, he will have to be smarter than
I think he is to catch me. I hope Jumper the Hare will have sense enough
to keep perfectly still. I've sometimes envied him his long legs, but I
guess I am better off than he is, at that. Once he has been seen by an
enemy, only those long legs of his can save him, but I have a hundred
hiding-places down under the snow. Whitey is watching the hole where
I disappeared; he thinks I'll come out there again after a while. I'll
fool him."

Whitefoot scampered along through a little tunnel and presently very
cautiously peeped out of another little round hole in the snow. Sure
enough, there was Whitey the Snowy Owl back to him on a stump, watching
the hole down which he had disappeared a few minutes before. Whitefoot
grinned. Then he looked over to where he had last seen Jumper. Jumper
was still there; it was clear that he hadn't moved, and so Whitey hadn't
seen him. Again Whitefoot grinned. Then he settled himself to watch
patiently for Whitey to become ti