<div><h1 id='ch39'>CHAPTER XXXIX<br/> <span class='sub-head'>AN ENEMY PROVES A FRIEND</span></h1></div>
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<p class='line0'>Be not too sure lest at the last</p>
<p class='line0'>Grim disappointment grips you fast.</p>
<p class='line0'>                    <span class='it'>Billy Mink.</span></p>
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<p class='pindent'><span class='sc'>Jumper</span> the Hare crouched under
the big pile of brush where Old
Man Coyote had driven him and
wondered what he should do next.
He didn’t dare leave that pile of
brush for fear of Old Man Coyote,
and he didn’t dare remain there for
fear of Billy Mink. So Jumper
was in despair. He couldn’t remember
ever having been in quite
such a bad situation. Not knowing
what to do, he did nothing but
sit still and shake with fright.
From where he was he could peep
out. He could see Old Man
Coyote sitting down with his head
on one side, as if studying some
way to get Jumper out from under
that pile of brush.</p>
<p class='pindent'>For perhaps two minutes Old
Man Coyote sat that way. Suddenly
he pricked up his ears and
turned his head. Jumper knew
that Old Man Coyote had heard
something. Jumper crept a few
steps nearer the edge of the old pile
of brush in order to see out better.
Right away he saw a slim, brown
form bounding along toward him.
It was Billy Mink.</p>
<p class='pindent'>Old Man Coyote was crouched
down with his feet set for a quick
spring. Jumper knew then that
Old Man Coyote had heard Billy
Mink coming. It was this that
had made him prick up his ears
and turn. Billy Mink stopped
very abruptly. Then like a flash
he turned. He had seen Old Man
Coyote, or else he had smelled him.
The instant Billy Mink turned, Old
Man Coyote sprang forward. There
was no place near for Billy Mink
to seek safety in save the brush
pile where Jumper was and Old
Man Coyote was between Billy and
that brush pile.</p>
<p class='pindent'>“Old Man Coyote will get him
this time,” thought Jumper, and
didn’t know whether to be glad or
sorry. He wanted with all his
might to be rid of Billy Mink. At
the same time he didn’t want anything
to happen to Billy.</p>
<p class='pindent'>Billy Mink wasted no time looking
for a hiding-place. Like a
flash he climbed the nearest tree,
for you know Billy is a very good
climber. There, just out of reach
of Old Man Coyote, Billy crouched
on a limb and told Old Man Coyote
just what he thought of him. Billy
was angry clear through. It was
one thing to hunt and quite another
thing to be hunted. Old
Man Coyote didn’t seem to mind
what Billy Mink said. He sat
down at the foot of the tree quite
as if he intended to stay there.</p>
<p class='pindent'>Jumper waited to see no more.
Very quietly he crept out from
under the brush pile on the other
side and then took to his heels.
He meant to put as great a distance
as possible between himself
and these two enemies. And as
he ran he chuckled. “That’s the
time an enemy proved a friend,”
said he, for he knew that he would
have nothing more to fear from
Billy Mink that night.</p>
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