in
clover. He ate at first greedily, then more daintily, wandering always
farther afield in search of dessert. Never, however, did he forget the
precise location of the opening by which he had entered, as was wise of
him. For now, behold, enter the dogs. Ordinarily these dogs, who were
also wise beasts, passed by the jackrabbit in his abundance with only
inhibited longing. Their experience had taught them that to chase
jackrabbits in the open with any motive ulterior to that of healthful
exercise and the joy of seeing the blame things run was as vain and as
puppish as chasing one's tail. But in the alfalfa fields was a chance,
for it must be remembered that such fields were surrounded by the
rabbit-proof wire in which but a single opening was known to the jack in
question. Therefore, with huge delight, the dogs gave chase. Mr. Rabbit
bolted back for his opening, his enemies fairly at his heels. Now comes
the curious part of the episode. The dogs knew perfectly well that if
the rabbit hit the hole in the fence he was safe for all of them; and
they had learned, further, that if the rabbit missed his plunge for
safety he would collide strongly with that tight-strung wire. When
within twenty feet or so of the fence they stopped short in expectation.
Probably three times out of five the game made his plunge in safety and
scudded away over the open plain outside. Then the dogs turned and
trotted philosophically back to the ranch. But the other two times the
rabbit would miss. At full speed he would hit the tight-strung mesh,
only to be hurled back by its resiliency fairly into the jaws of his
waiting pursuers. Though thousands may consider this another
nature-fake, I shall always have the comfort of thinking that the
Captain and the dogs know it for the truth.

At times jackrabbits get some sort of a plague and die in great numbers.
Indeed some years at the ranch they seemed almost to have disappeared.
Their carcasses are destroyed almost immediately by the carrion
creatures, and their delicate bones, scattered by the ravens, buzzards,
and coyotes, soon disintegrate and pass into the soil. One does not find
many evidences of the destruction that has been at work; yet he will see
tens instead of myriads. I have been at the ranch when one was never out
of sight of jackrabbits, in droves, and again I have been there when
one would not see a half dozen in a morning's ride. They recover their
numbers fast enough, and the chances a