So, like the fox, he did what Le Beau least expected.

He crawled back swiftly through the tangled tops until he came to the wall of snow that shut the windfall in, and through this he burrowed his way almost as quickly as the fox himself would have done it.

With his jaws he tore through the half-inch outer crust, and a moment later stood in the open, with the fire between him and Le Beau.
The windfall was a blazing furnace, and suddenly Le Beau ran back a dozen steps so that he could see on the farther side.

A hundred yards away he saw Miki making for the deeper forest.
It was a clear shot.

At that distance Le Beau would have staked his life that it was impossible for him to miss.