“But if you do that you’re sure to come back to the starting point, aren’t you?” asked Bumper.
Spotted Tail didn’t know. He had never given it much thought; but now that Bumper mentioned it he did recall many mishaps where rabbits pursued by the dogs ran plump into the arms of hunters who seemed to be waiting for them.
“It’s a simple trick,” added Bumper. “They send the dogs after you, and then stand still until you make a wide circle and come back to the starting point. Then they shoot you.”
“I don’t know,” replied Spotted Tail. “But we’ve always circled around to the left.”
“Well,” said Bumper quickly, “we’re going to run straight ahead to-day, and then when we have left the hounds behind we’ll go back to the burrow in another way.”
“But all of our people have circled to the left—” began Spotted Tail.
“Come, follow me, straight ahead,” interrupted Bumper.
There was surprise and consternation at this order. Old habits were strong, and Bumper was too new yet as a leader to impress all. Some followed him, and others without really intending to do it began circling around to the left.
Bumper and his followers reached home in safety. They easily shook off the dogs, and returned to the burrow without sighting the hunters.
But not so with Spotted Tail and the few older ones who had followed him. They had run plump into the hunters, and while no one was seriously wounded by the shots fired at them several limped and showed blood on their coats. The Old Blind Rabbit listened to the accounts of the chase, and then said: