Here Bryan and his comrade continued a considerable time in nervous
anxiety, still nothing approached, and it became manifest that morning
was at hand; they were beginning to grow impatient, and were talking
of returning home, when on a sudden they heard a rushing sound behind
them, as if proceeding from something endeavouring to force a passage
through the thick hedge in their rear. They looked in that direction,
and judge of their astonishment, when they perceived a large hare in
the act of springing from the ditch, and leaping on the ground quite
near them. They were now convinced that this was the object which they
had so impatiently expected, and they were resolved to watch her
motions narrowly.
After arriving to the ground, she remained motionless for a few
moments, looking around her sharply. She then began to skip and jump
in a playful manner; now advancing at a smart pace towards the cows,
and again retreating precipitately, but still drawing nearer and
nearer at each sally. At length she advanced up to the next cow, and
sucked her for a moment; then on to the next, and so respectively to
every cow on the field--the cows all the time lowing loudly, and
appearing extremely frightened and agitated. Bryan, from the moment
the hare commenced sucking the first, was with difficulty restrained
from attacking her; but his more sagacious companion suggested to him,
that it was better to wait until she would have done, as she would
then be much heavier, and more unable to effect her escape than at
present. And so the issue proved; for being now done sucking them all,
her belly appeared enormously distended, and she made her exit slowly
and apparently with difficulty. She advanced towards the hedge where
she had entered, and as she arrived just at the clump of ferns where
her foes were couched, they started up with a fierce yell, and
hallooed the dogs upon her path.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account