A white ball of fur exploded up over the hill, out of the woods to my left, and across the trail in front of me before I realized what it was. A very frightened eye on the side of its head glanced up at me as it disappeared into the thicket to my right. It was then I registered what it was – a gray-white Snowshoe Hare, running for its life.
I was standing perfectly still, not the least bit threatening, so I wondered what had it so scared. I turned to my left, and saw a large calico-colored coyote top the same hill and jump up through the trees, running fast on the hare’s trail. Then it saw me, long before it shot across the trail. With one leap into the air, it twisted, turned, and headed back down the hill, disappearing into the woods without its afternoon meal.
I was thrilled to witness the chase, but felt badly for interfering. I wondered: if I hadn’t walked on the new-fallen snow this afternoon, who would have won?
