"Mr. Towser made certain he'd got me that time and once, when I looked
back over my shoulder, I saw that he was laughing. Now, do you know
that helped me to put in the big licks more than anything else could
have done? I folded my ears back so's they wouldn't hold the wind, and
straightened myself out till I wasn't much thicker than a streak of
daylight, jumping through the bushes whenever I saw a chance, so's Mr.
Towser would be forced to go a good ways round, and before many
minutes went by I had all my wits about me.

"I don't want to say anything that may sound like bragging, but it's a
fact that when I get right down to business in the woods there aren't
many members of the club who can come anywhere near me for
speed--there's no telling how fast I can run when it gets right down
to a pinch, and I was needing all my feet just then, for Mr. Towser
isn't anybody's fool when it comes to a race, owing to his legs being
so long.

"Well, as I was saying, I went through every bush that stood in the
way and had just made a leap that beat anything ever done by a member
of my family when what do you think? I came within half an inch of
jumping down the throat of Senator Bear, who was lying on the dry moss
in the sun, enjoying himself. Of course, he came up on his feet like
a steel spring when I flew past him; but he was too clumsy to do me
any mischief and then I pulled up mighty short, for I knew there'd be
quite a surprise party when Mr. Towser came along.

"I dodged into a big bed of ferns, for it stood to reason that my race
had been called off on account of general conditions, and there I
waited, stuffing my paws into my mouth so's I shouldn't roar right out
loud, for I was laughing till it really seemed as if there was danger
I'd burst. The Senator was standing with his mouth half open,
wondering if it were actually a rabbit or only a little bit of
sunlight that had given him such a start and then Towser came around
the edge of the bushes full tilt, but pulling himself in mighty quick
when he saw what he was up against.

"I saw the Senator's ears twitch, and knew he wanted to run; but there
wasn't any time to get headway on, so he had to stop and do the best
he knew how. Mr. Towser didn't claim to be any bear dog, and I reckon
he'd have given the biggest bone he ever saw to have been out of the
scrape without actually running away. There the two stood, one afraid
and the other scared, but both knowing there wasn't