s bitterness. Between a
snail and a stone he could find little difference, and as the one bug
he tried happened to be that asafoetida-like creature known as a
stink-bug he made no further efforts in that direction. He also bit off
a tender tip from a ground-shoot, but instead of a young poplar it was
Fox-bite, and shrivelled up his tongue for a quarter of an hour. At
last he arrived at the conclusion that, up to date, the one thing in
Neewa's menu that he COULD eat was grass.

In the face of his own starvation his companion grew happier as he
added to the strange collection in his stomach. In fact, Neewa
considered himself in clover and was grunting his satisfaction
continually, especially as his bad eye was beginning to open and he
could see things better. Half a dozen times when he found fresh ant
nests he invited Miki to the feast with excited little squeals. Until
noon Miki followed like a faithful satellite at his heels. The end came
when Neewa deliberately dug into a nest inhabited by four huge
bumble-bees, smashed them all, and ate them.

From that moment something impressed upon Miki that he must do his own
hunting. With the thought came a new thrill. His eyes were fairly open
now, and much of the stiffness had gone from his legs. The blood of his
Mackenzie father and of his half Spitz and half Airedale mother rose up
in him in swift and immediate demand, and he began to quest about for
himself. He found a warm scent, and poked about until a partridge went
up with a tremendous thunder of wings. It startled him, but added to
the thrill. A few minutes later, nosing under a pile of brush, he came
face to face with his dinner.

It was Wahboo, the baby rabbit. Instantly Miki was at him, and had a
firm hold at the back of Wahboo's back. Neewa, hearing the smashing of
the brush and the squealing of the rabbit, stopped catching ants and
hustled toward the scene of action. The squealing ceased quickly and
Miki backed himself out and faced Neewa with Wahboo held triumphantly
in his jaws. The young rabbit had already given his last kick, and with
a fierce show of growling Miki began tearing the fur off. Neewa edged
in, grunting affably. Miki snarled more fiercely. Neewa, undaunted,
continued to express his overwhelming regard for Miki in low and
supplicating grunts--and smelled the rabbit. The snarl in Miki's throat
died away. He may have remembered that Neewa had invited him more than
once to partake of his ants and bu