So far as he could see, the rifle was in perfect working order. He stood stock still and waited for a recurrence of the disturbance in the bushes.
But following the rustling that had first attracted his attention no sound came. Ralph’s excited imagination showed him a tawny side a dozen times or more, only to be followed by the discovery that it was some dead or faded leaves and not the flank of a bear or cougar that he had spied.
If something doesn’t happen pretty quick, I’m going to blow up!” exclaimed the boy to himself as he waited, hardly daring to breathe.
All at once there came from the patch of bushes a renewed rustling. It was coming toward him. Ralph clutched his rifle tightly and bit his under lip to keep his nerves under control. The sound was growing nearer now. Was it a bear, or a stealthy, cat-like cougar that was destined[120] to emerge in an instant from its place of concealment?
It’s coming,” thought Ralph, with a bound of his heart, I hope I can shoot straight and finish it with one shot.”
He threw up his gun in anticipation and the next instant burst into a loud laugh.
From the bush had emerged, not a bear nor a mountain lion, nor even a deer.
Facing Ralph, and quite as much astonished as he, to judge by its attitude, was a large Canada hare. For an instant boy and hare stood looking at each other, while Ralph shook with laughter over his feelings of trepidation as to what the brush would bring forth.
Talk about the mountain and the mouse,” he chuckled to himself. This sure is a modern version of the old fable.”
Skip along, bunny,” he added the next instant, as the hare, with a spring and a whisk of its stumpy tail, vanished down the mountain side[121] seeking cover, I wouldn’t take as easy a shot as that, especially when I was looking for big game.”