Білий ікол
The Lair
And,suchwasthecuriousnessofthegame,thewayoflifeforonelayintheeatingoftheother,andthewayoflifefortheotherlayinbeingnoteaten. WhileoldOneEye,thewolfcrouchinginthecovert,playedhispart,too,inthegame, waitingforsomestrangefreakofChance,thatmighthelphimonthemeat-trailwhichwashiswayoflife.
Halfanhourpassed,anhour;andnothinghappened. Theballsofquillsmighthavebeenastoneforallitmoved; thelynxmighthavebeenfrozentomarble; andoldOneEyemighthavebeendead. Yetallthreeanimalswerekeyedtoatensenessoflivingthatwasalmostpainful, andscarcelyeverwoulditcometothemtobemorealivethantheywerethenintheirseemingpetrifaction.
OneEyemovedslightlyandpeeredforthwithincreasedeagerness. Somethingwashappening. Theporcupinehadatlastdecidedthatitsenemyhadgoneaway. Slowly,cautiously,itwasunrollingitsballofimpregnablearmour. Itwasagitatedbynotremorofanticipation. Slowly,slowly,thebristlingballstraightenedoutandlengthened. OneEyewatching,feltasuddenmoistnessinhismouthandadroolingofsaliva,involuntary,excitedbythelivingmeatthatwasspreadingitselflikearepastbeforehim.
Notquiteentirelyhadtheporcupineunrolledwhenitdiscovereditsenemy. Inthatinstantthelynxstruck. Theblowwaslikeaflashoflight. Thepaw,withrigidclawscurvingliketalons,shotunderthetenderbellyandcamebackwithaswiftrippingmovement. Hadtheporcupinebeenentirelyunrolled,orhaditnotdiscovereditsenemyafractionofasecondbeforetheblowwasstruck,thepawwouldhaveescapedunscathed; butaside-flickofthetailsanksharpquillsintoitasitwaswithdrawn.