the mahatma and the hare-第8节

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any　rate　his　taildo　you　call　it　his　tail；　Mahatma？〃

〃That　will　do；〃　I　answered。

〃Well；　his　tail　was　towards　me；　it　looked　very　round　and　shiny。　The
shot　from　Tom's　gun　hit　it　everywhere。　I　wish　they　had　all　gone　into
it；　but　as　he　was　so　far　away　the　charge　scattered　and　six　of　the
bullets　struck　me。　Oh！　they　did　hurt。　Put　your　hand　on　my　back；
Mahatma；　and　you　will　feel　the　six　lumps　they　made　beneath　the　grey
tufts　of　hair　that　grew　over　them；　for　they　are　still　there。〃

Forgetting　that　we　were　on　the　Road；　I　stretched　out　my　hand；　but；　of
course；　it　went　quite　through　the　hare；　although　I　could　see　the　six
little　grey　tufts　clearly　enough。

〃You　are　foolish；　Hare；　you　don't　remember　that　your　body　is　not　here
but　somewhere　else。〃

〃Quite　true；　Mahatma。　If　it　were　here　I　could　not　be　talking　to　you；
could　I？　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　have　no　body　now。　It　isoh；　never
mind　where。　Still；　you　can　see　the　grey　tufts；　can't　you？　Well；　I　only
hope　that　those　shot　hurt　that　fat　boy　half　as　much　as　they　did　me。
No；　I　don't　mean　that　I　hope　it　now；　I　used　to　hope　it。

My　goodness！　didn't　he　screech；　much　worse　than　my　father　when　his
legs　were　broken。　And　didn't　everybody　else　roar　and　shout；　and　didn't
I　dance？　Off　I　went　right　over　the　fat　boy；　who　had　tumbled　down；　up
to　the　end　of　the　field；　then　so　bewildered　was　I　with　shock　and　the
burning　pain；　back　again　quite　close　to　them。

But　now　nobody　shot　at　me　because　they　all　thought　the　boy　was　killed
and　were　gathered　round　him　looking　very　solemn。　Only　I　saw　that　the
Red…faced　Man　had　Tom　by　the　neck　and　was　kicking　him　hard。

After　that　I　saw　no　more；　for　I　ran　five　miles　before　I　stopped；　and
at　last　lay　down　in　a　little　swamp　near　the　seashore　to　which　my
mother　had　once　taken　me。　My　back　was　burning　like　fire；　and　I　tried
to　cool　it　in　the　soft　slush。



THE　COURSING

Quite　a　moon　went　by　before　I　recovered　from　Tom's　shot。　At　first　I
thought　that　I　was　going　to　die；　for；　although　luckily　none　of　my
bones　were　broken；　the　pain　in　my　back　was　dreadful。　When　I　tried　to
ease　the　agony　by　rubbing　against　roots　it　only　became　worse；　for　the
fur　fell　off；　leaving　sores　upon　which　flies　settled。　I　could　scarcely
eat　or　sleep；　and　grew　so　thin　that　the　bones　nearly　poked　through　my
pelt。　Indeed　I　wanted　very　much　to　die；　but　could　not。　On　the
contrary；　by　degrees　I　recovered；　till　at　last　I　was　quite　strong
again　and　like　other　hares；　except　for　the　six　little　grey　tufts　upon
my　back　and　one　hole　through　my　right　ear。

Now　all　this　while　I　had　lived　in　the　swamp　near　the　sea；　but　when　my
strength　returned　I　thought　of　my　old　home；　to　which　something　seemed
to　draw　me。　Also　there　were　no　turnips　near　the　swamp；　and　as　the
winter　came　on　I　found　very　little　to　eat　there。　So　one　day；　or　rather
one　night；　I　travelled　back　home。

As　it　happened　the　first　hare　that　I　met　near　the　big　wood　was　my
sister。　She　was　very　glad　to　see　me；　although　she　had　forgotten　how　we
came　to　part；　and　when　I　spoke　of　our　father　and　mother　these　did　not
seem　to　interest　her。　Still　from　that　time　forward　we　lived　together
more　or　less　till　her　end　came。

One　daythis　was　after　we　had　made　our　home　in　the　big　wood；　as　hares
often　do　in　winterthere　was　a　great　disturbance。　When　we　tried　to　go
out　to　feed　at　daylight　we　found　little　fires　burning　everywhere；　and
near　to　them　boys　who　beat　themselves　and　shouted。　So　we　went　back
into　the　wood；　where　the　pheasants　were　running　to　and　fro　in　a　great
state　of　mind。

Some　hours　later；　when　the　sun　was　quite　high；　men　began　to　march
about　and　scores　of　shots　were　fired　a　long　way　off；　also　a　wounded
cock…pheasant　fell　near　to　us　and　fluttered　away；　making　a　queer　noise
in　its　throat。　It　looked　very　funny　stumbling　along　on　one　leg　with
its　beak　gaping　and　two　of　the　long　feathers　in　its　tail　broken。

〃I　know　what　this　is；〃　I　said　to　my　sister。　〃Let's　be　gone　before　they
shoot　us。　I've　had　enough　of　being　shot。〃

So　off　we　went；　rushing　past　a　boy　by　his　fire；　who　yelled　and　threw　a
stick　at　us。　But　as　it　happened；　on　the　borders　of　the　property　of　the
Red…faced　Man　there　were　poachers　who　knew　that　hares　would　come　out
of　the　wood　on　this　day　of　the　shooting　and　had　made　ready　for　us　by
setting　wire　nooses　in　the　gaps　of　the　hedges　through　which　we　ran。　I
got　my　foot　into　one　of　these　but　managed　to　shake　it　off。　My　sister
was　not　so　lucky；　for　her　head　went　into　another　of　them。　She　kicked
and　tore；　but　the　more　she　struggled　the　tighter　drew　the　noose。

I　watched　her　for　a　little　while　until　one　of　the　poachers　ran　up　with
a　stick。

Then　I　went　away；　as　I　could　not　bear　to　see　her　beaten　to　death；　and
that　was　the　end　of　my　sister。　So　now　I　was　the　only　one　left　alive　of
our　family；　except　perhaps　some　younger　brothers　whom　I　did　not　know；
though　I　think　it　was　one　of　these　that　afterwards　I　saw　shot　quite
dead　by　Giles。　He　went　over　and　over　and　lay　as　still　as　though　he　had
never　moved　in　all　his　life。　Death　seems　a　very　wonderful　thing；
Mahatma；　but　I　won't　ask　you　what　it　is　because　I　perceive　that　you
can't　answer。

After　this　nothing　happened　to　me　for　a　long　while。　Indeed　I　had　the
best　time　of　my　life　and　grew　very　strong　and　big；　yes；　the　strongest
and　biggest　hare　of　any　that　I　ever　saw；　also　the　swiftest　of　foot。
Twice　I　was　chased　by　dogs；　once　by　Giles's　black　beast；　Nigger；　and
once　by　that　of　a　shepherd。　Finding　that　I　could　run　right　away　from
them　without　exerting　myself　at　all；　I　grew　to　despise　dogs。　Ah！
little　did　I　know　then　that　there　are　many　different　breeds　of　these
animals。

One　day　in　mid…winter；　as　the　weather　was　very　mild　and　open；　I　was
lying　on　the　rough　grass　field　that　I　have　spoken　of　which　borders　a
flat　stretch　of　moorland。　On　this　moorland　in　summer　grew　tall　ferns；
but　now　these　had　died　and　been　broken　down　by　the　wind。　Suddenly　I
woke　up　from　my　sleep　to　see　a　number　of　men　walking　and　riding
towards　me。

They　were　tenants　and　others　who；　although　the　real　coursing　season
had　not　yet　begun　in　our　neighbourhood；　had　been　asked　by　Grampus　to
come　to　try　their　greyhounds　upon　his　land。　Those　of　them　who　walked
for　the　most　part　held　two　long；　lean　dogs　on　a　string；　while　one　or
two　carried　dead　hares。　They　were　dreadful…looking　hares　that　seemed
to　have　been　bitten　all　over；　at　least　their　coats　were　wet　and
broken。　I　shivered　at　the　sight　of　them；　feeling　sure　that　I　was　going
to　be　put　to　some　new　kind　of　torture。

Besides　the　men　on　foot　were　those　on　horseback；　among　whom　I
recognised　the　Red…faced　Man　and　my　enemy；　the　dreadful　Tom。　Most　of
the　others　were　people　called　farmers；　who　seemed　very　happy　and
excited　and　from　time　to　time　drank　something　out　of　little　bottles
which　they　passed　to　each　other。　Giles　was　not　there。　Now　I　know　that
this　was　because　he　hated　coursing；　which　killed　down　hares。　Hares；　he
thought；　out　to　be　shot；　not　coursed。

Whilst　I　watched；　wondering　what　to　do；　there　was　a　shout　of　〃There
she　goes！〃　and　all　the　long　dogs　began　to　pull　at　their　strings。　Off
the　necks　of　two　of　them　the　collars　seemed　to　fall；　and　away　they
leapt　pursuing　a　hare。　The　men　on　the　horses　galloped　after　them；　but
the　men　on　foot　remained　where　they　were。

Now　I　was　afraid　to　get　up　and　run　lest　they　should　loose　the　other
dogs　on　me；　so　I　lay　still；　till　presently　I　saw　the　hare　coming　back
towards　me；　followed　by　the　two　dogs　whose　noses　almost　touched　its
tail。　It　was　exhausted　and　tried　to　twist　and　spring　away　to　the
right。　But　as　it　did　so　one　of　the　dogs　caught　it　in　its　mouth　and　bit
it　till　it　died。

〃That　was　a　rotten　hare；〃　said　Tom；　who　cantered　up　just　then；　〃it
gave　no　course　at　all。〃

〃Yes；〃　puffed　Grampus。　〃Hope　the　next　one　will　show　better　sport。〃

〃Hope　so　too；〃　answered　Tom；　〃especially　as　it　is　Jack　and　Jill's　turn
to　be　slipped；　and　they　are　the　best　greyhounds　for　twenty　miles
round。〃

Then　the　Red…faced　Man　gave　some　orders　and　Jack　and　Jill　were　brought
forward　by　the　man　whose　business　it　was　to　slip　the　dogs。　One　of　them
was　black　and　one　yellow；　I　think　Jack　was　the　black　onea　dreadful；
sneaking…looking　beast　with　a　white　tip　to　its　tail；　which　ended　in　a
sort　of　curl。

〃Forward　now；〃　said　Grampus；　〃and　go　slow。　There's　sure　to　be　another
puss　or　two　in　this　rough　grass。〃

Next　second　I　was　up　and　away；　and　before　you　could　count　twelve　Jack
and　Jill　were　after　me。　I　saw　them　standing　on　their　hind　legs
straining　at　the　cord。　Then　the　collars　fell　from　them　and　they　leapt
forward　like　the　light。　My　thought　was　to　get　back　to　the　wood；　which
was　about　a　minute's　run　behind　me；　but　I　did　not　dare　to　turn　and
head　for　it　because　of　the　long　line　of　people　through　which　I　must
pass　if　I　tried　to　do　so。　So　I　ran　straight　for　the　moorland；　hoping
to　turn　there　and　reach　the　wood　on　its　other　side；　although　this
meant　a　long　journey。

For　a　while　all　went　well　with　me；　and　having　a　good　start　I　began　to
hope　that　I　should　outrun　these　beasts；　as　I　had　the　shepherd's　dog
and　the　retriever。　But　I　did　not　know　Jack　and　Jill。　Just　as　I　reached
the　borders　of　the　moor　I　heard　the　patter　of　their　feet　behind　me；
and　looking　back　saw　them　coming