said aloud, and started forth to hunt.

Now it would have been better for the plans of Old Jed Thumper if he had
kept them to himself instead of speaking aloud. Two dainty little ears
heard what he said, and two soft, gentle eyes watched him leave the
bull-briar castle. He started straight for the far corner of the Old
Pasture where, although he didn't know it, Peter Rabbit had found a warm
little sunning-bank. But he hadn't gone far when, from way off in the
opposite direction, he heard a sound that made him stop short and prick
up his long ears to listen. There it was again--thump, thump! He was
just going to thump back an angry reply, when he thought better of it.

"If do that," thought he, "I'll only warn him, and he'll run away, just
as he has before."

So instead, he turned and hurried in the direction from which the thumps
had come, taking the greatest care to make no noise. Every few jumps he
would stop to listen. Twice more he heard those thumps, and each time
new rage filled his heart, and for a minute or two he chewed his temper.

"He's down at my blueberry-patch," he muttered.

At last he reached the blueberry-patch. Very softly he crept to a place
where he could see and not be seen. No one was there. No, Sir, no one
was there! He waited and watched, and there wasn't a hair of Peter
Rabbit to be seen. He was just getting ready to go look for Peter's
tracks when he heard that thump, thump again. This time it came from his
favorite clover-patch where he never allowed even his favorite daughter,
little Miss Fuzzytail, to go. Anger nearly choked him as he hurried in
that direction. But when he got there, just as before no one was to be