I killed the snake, an' arter that took an interest in 'em.
Every time I passed I'd look in at the bunnies, an' each time I seen
signs that some tarnal varmint had been prowlin' round. One day I
missed a bunny, an' next day another; so on until only one was left,
a peart white and gray little scamp. Somethin' was stealin' of 'em,
an' it made me mad. So yistidday an' to-day I watched, an' finally I
plugged this black thief. Yes, he's got a glossy coat; but he's a
bad un fer all his fine looks. These black foxes are bigger,
stronger an' cunniner than red ones. In every litter you'll find a
dark one, the black sheep of the family. Because he grows so much
faster, an' steals all the food from the others, the mother jest
takes him by the nape of the neck an' chucks him out in the world to
shift fer hisself. An' it's a good thing."
The next day Wetzel told Joe they would go across country to seek
new game fields. Accordingly the two set out, and tramped
industriously until evening. They came upon a country no less
beautiful than the one they had left, though the picturesque cliffs
and rugged hills had given way to a rolling land, the luxuriance of
which was explained by the abundant springs and streams. Forests and
fields were thickly interspersed with bubbling springs, narrow and
deep streams, and here and there a small lake with a running outlet.
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