"It's something alive!" she cried, and was about to put an exploring hand down to find the source of the whine, when she had a second thought. "Will it bite?"
"Too little," Knight assured her. He bent as he spoke and lifted two little furry bundles and laid them in Blue Bonnet's outstretched arms.
"Puppies!" she cried delightedly. She bore them to the light, the other girls crowding about for a view of the wriggling mites.
After her first good look at them, Sarah gave an exclamation of surprise. "Why, they're not dogs," she cried.
"Yes, they are," said Alec, "—coyote pups!"
"Oh, the dears!" cried Blue Bonnet ecstatically. "Where did you get them?"
"Shady shot the mother," Knight explained, and then wished he had not,—Blue Bonnet looked so grieved. "She killed a calf a few nights ago," he said in extenuation, "and Shady was 'laying for' her. She made for her hole after she was wounded and we followed,—that's how we came to find the pups. Lucky we did or they'd have had a hard time of it."
"Poor babies," said Blue Bonnet. "Let's go and show them to Grandmother and Debby—I reckon they never saw a real live coyote before. Here, Sarah, you carry one." She generously held out one of the bright-eyed babies, but to her surprise Sarah drew back. "Why, you can't be afraid, Sarah?"
"N-no," Sarah replied, edging away as she spoke. "But I don't like to touch—live animals."
"Well, I'd much rather touch live ones than dead things!" exclaimed Blue Bonnet. "Here, Alec, you take the poor baby—Sarah doesn't know how to mother it!"