silence inside, followed by a buzz of many voices. Finally a
weak, trembling voice said authoritatively:

"Admit him! It can't be Mr. Fox in disguise, for he could never crawl
through that hole. Admit him so I can talk to him."

Evidently the speaker was one in authority, for the other instantly
obeyed, and Bumper was allowed to hop through the hole into the burrow.

STORY XVI

BUMPER BECOMES THE WHITE KING OF THE RABBITS

What Bumper saw and smelt when he hopped into the burrow under the rocks
made a great impression upon his mind. It was a large burrow directly
under the huge rock, with no other entrance to it than the one through the
hollow tree trunk. No wonder the fox couldn't reach the rabbits! They were
as well protected from him as if they lived in a house of stone.

There were all sizes of rabbits around him--little ones scarcely able to
hop around without falling over, big, husky fellows with fierce looking
muzzles and eyes, and very old ones who seemed too feeble to move very
fast. But it was the one who had commanded the others to let Bumper in
that attracted his attention the most.

He had been a big, stalwart rabbit at one time, and his frame was still
large and angular, but age had shrunken his body and haunches, and his
cheeks were thin and wrinkled. The eyes stared straight at Bumper as
though they would go right through him. It was not until later that Bumper
understood it was blindness that made that stare seem so penetrating.

"Tell me your name again!" this old patriarch said when Bumper stood
trembling before him.

"Bumper the White Rabbit!"

The old one hopped nearer, using one of his companions as a guide.

"Is it true," he asked finally, turning to the others, "that he's white?"

"Yes," they all responded in chorus.

"No gray or brown hairs on him?"

"No gray or brown hairs on him."

"Be sure!" commanded the old leader. "Lick them to see if the gray shows
underneath."

Several obeyed this order, and Bumper felt as if he was being washed all
over, so vigorously did the tongues of his cousins lick him to discover
any fraud.

"He still remains white," one of the rabbits said finally. "There are no
gray or brown hairs underneath."

"That is well!" ejaculated the blind leader. "Now tell me the color of his
eyes."

"Pink!" they cried.

"Ah!" The blind rabbit seemed suddenly excited and trembled with emotion.
"Pure white, you say, and pink eyes! Is he a young rabbit, or