No, I
don't mean that I hope it now, I used to hope it."
My goodness! didn't he screech, much worse than my father when his legs
were broken. And didn't everybody else roar and shout, and didn't I
dance? Off I went right over the fat boy, who had tumbled down, up
to the end of the field, then so bewildered was I with shock and the
burning pain, back again quite close to them.
But now nobody shot at me because they all thought the boy was killed
and were gathered round him looking very solemn. Only I saw that the
Red-faced Man had Tom by the neck and was kicking him hard.
After that I saw no more, for I ran five miles before I stopped, and at
last lay down in a little swamp near the seashore to which my mother had
once taken me. My back was burning like fire, and I tried to cool it in
the soft slush.
THE COURSING
Quite a moon went by before I recovered from Tom's shot. At first I
thought that I was going to die, for, although luckily none of my bones
were broken, the pain in my back was dreadful. When I tried to ease the
agony by rubbing against roots it only became worse, for the fur fell
off, leaving sores upon which flies settled. I could scarcely eat or
sleep, and grew so thin that the bones nearly poked through my pelt.
Indeed I wanted very much to die, but could not. On the contrary, by
degrees I recovered, till at last I was quite strong again and like
other hares, except for the six little grey tufts upon my back and one
hole through my right ear.
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