The old dog was barking as if for dear life, and the boys ran as fast as the snow would let them. They had not far to go before they could see Ponto dancing around the foot of a huge beech-tree.
"If he hasn't treed him!"
"Treed a rabbit! Why, do you mean they can climb?"
"Climb! Rabbits climb! I guess not. But that tree's hollow. See that hole at the bottom? The rabbit's in there, sure."
"Can we get him?"
"We'll try, but it won't pay if it takes too long,—just one rabbit."
Porter Hudson had a feeling that it would be worth almost any thing in the world to catch that rabbit. He hardly knew how to go to work for it; but he felt very warm indeed while his cousin stooped down and poked his arm deeper and deeper into the hole in the tree. It did not go down, but up; and it was a pretty big one at its outer opening.
"Is it a hollow tree, Corry?"
"Guess not, only a little way up."
"Can you feel him?"