Білий ікол

           Helookedoutside,andhalfadozensnow-birdsflutteredacrosshisfieldofvision. Hestartedtogetup,thenlookedbacktohismateagain,andsettleddownanddozed. Ashrillandminutesingingstoleuponhisheating. Once,andtwice,hesleepilybrushedhisnosewithhispaw. Thenhewokeup. There,buzzingintheairatthetipofhisnose,wasalonemosquito. Itwasafull-grownmosquito,onethathadlainfrozeninadrylogallwinterandthathadnowbeenthawedoutbythesun. Hecouldresistthecalloftheworldnolonger. Besides,hewashungry. 

           Hecrawledovertohismateandtriedtopersuadehertogetup. Butsheonlysnarledathim, andhewalkedoutaloneintothebrightsunshinetofindthesnow-surfacesoftunderfootandthetravellingdifficult. Hewentupthefrozenbedofthestream,wherethesnow,shadedbythetrees,wasyethardandcrystalline. Hewasgoneeighthours,andhecamebackthroughthedarknesshungrierthanwhenhehadstarted. Hehadfoundgame,buthehadnotcaughtit. Hehadbrokenthroughthemeltingsnowcrust,andwallowed,whilethesnowshoerabbitshadskimmedalongontoplightlyasever. 

           Hepausedatthemouthofthecavewithasuddenshockofsuspicion. Faint,strangesoundscamefromwithin. Theyweresoundsnotmadebyhismate,andyettheywereremotelyfamiliar. Hebelliedcautiouslyinsideandwasmetbyawarningsnarlfromtheshe-wolf. Thishereceivedwithoutperturbation,thoughheobeyeditbykeepinghisdistance; butheremainedinterestedintheothersounds—faint,muffledsobbingsandslubberings. 

           Hismatewarnedhimirritablyaway, andhecurledupandsleptintheentrance. Whenmorningcameandadimlightpervadedthelair,heagainsoughtafterthesourceoftheremotelyfamiliarsounds.