The Law of Meat

           Thecub’sdevelopmentwasrapid. Herestedfortwodays,andthenventuredforthfromthecaveagain. Itwasonthisadventurethathefoundtheyoungweaselwhosemotherhehadhelpedeat, andhesawtoitthattheyoungweaselwentthewayofitsmother. Butonthistriphedidnotgetlost. Whenhegrewtired,hefoundhiswaybacktothecaveandslept. Andeverydaythereafterfoundhimoutandrangingawiderarea. 

           Hebegantogetaccuratemeasurementofhisstrengthandhisweakness,andtoknowwhentobeboldandwhentobecautious. Hefounditexpedienttobecautiousallthetime,exceptfortheraremoments, when,assuredofhisownintrepidity,heabandonedhimselftopettyragesandlusts. 

           Hewasalwaysalittledemonoffurywhenhechanceduponastrayptarmigan. Neverdidhefailtorespondsavagelytothechatterofthesquirrelhehadfirstmetontheblastedpine. Whilethesightofamoose-birdalmostinvariablyputhimintothewildestofrages;forheneverforgotthepeckonthenosehehadreceivedfromthefirstofthatilkheencountered. 

           Butthereweretimeswhenevenamoose-birdfailedtoaffecthim, andthoseweretimeswhenhefelthimselftobeindangerfromsomeotherprowlingmeathunter. Heneverforgotthehawk,anditsmovingshadowalwayssenthimcrouchingintothenearestthicket. Henolongersprawledandstraddled,andalreadyhewasdevelopingthegaitofhismother,slinkingandfurtive, apparentlywithoutexertion,yetslidingalongwithaswiftnessthatwasasdeceptiveasitwasimperceptible. 

           Inthematterofmeat,hisluckhadbeenallinthebeginning. Thesevenptarmiganchicksandthebabyweaselrepresentedthesumofhiskillings.