It was a beautiful sight to behold these innocent little creatures, now nibbling at the blades of grass, now leaping a few feet over the sward, and then settling comically upon their haunches.

The young hunters thought it a beautiful sight; and so would you, boy reader, had you witnessed the manoeuvres of these miniature hares.
An odd-looking object now presented itself directly in front of them, and close to the briars.

It was of a round shape, and looked like a large clew of hair or wool of a greyish colour, half-buried in the ground.

Whether it had been there before, neither Basil, nor Lucien, nor Francois, could tell.

It might have been without their noticing it, as their attention was so occupied with the hares and the lynx.
Francois said he _had_ noticed it a little before; but it had only slightly arrested his attention, as he supposed it to be a tuft of the dry grass or a globe-cactus (_echinocactus_)--a species of which they had seen much of late, and to which it bore a considerable resemblance.
It was evident, however, on closer scrutiny it was not that.
The little hares seemed to notice it about the same time; and, prompted by curiosity, they drew nearer and nearer to it.