Всадник без головы

Chapter 53

           Ofallthewilddenizens,eitherofprairieorchapparal,thecoyotéisthatpossessedofthegreatestcunning.Thetrapperwilltellyouitisthe"cunningestvarmintincreation."Itisafoxinastuteness—awolfinferocity.Itmaybetamed,butitwillturnatanytimetotearthehandthatcaressesit.Achildcanscareitwithastick,butadisabledmanmaydreaditsattack.Aloneithasthehabitofahare;butinpacks—andithuntsonlyinpacks—itspoltrooneryislessobservable;sometimesundertheinfluenceofextremehungergivingplacetoasavagenessofdispositionthatassumesthesemblanceofcourage.

           Itisthecoyotés’cunningthatismosttobefeared;anditwasthisthathadbeguntoexcitefreshapprehensioninthemindofthemustanger.

           Ondiscoveringthattheycouldnotreachhim—adiscoverytheywerenotlonginmaking—insteadofscatteringofffromthespot,thewolves,oneandall,squatteddownuponthegrass;whileothers,stragglersfromtheoriginaltroop,werestillcomingintotheglade.Hesawthattheyintendedasiege.

           Thisshouldnothavetroubledhim,seeingthathewassecureinhissuspendedcouch.

           Norwouldit,butforanothersourceoftrouble,everymomentmakingitselfmoremanifest—thatfromwhichhehadsolatelyhadsuchanarrowescape.Hewasoncemoreontheeveofbeingtorturedbythirst.

           Heblamedhimselfforhavingbeensosimple,asnottothinkofthisbeforeclimbinguptothetree.Hemighteasilyhavecarriedupasupplyofwater.

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