By Junior Naturalist Donald Edward McHenry

ONE EVENING, as dusk was smothering the outlines of Ranger Ed. Laws on the North Rim of Grand Canyon stopped along the road to casually glance at the lengthening shadows creeping over the meadows below. He was just around the hill from the Fred Harvey saddle camp. Three does of the mule deer were lazily eating their evening meal of grass in various parts of the meadows. Suddenly one nervously raised its head and listened. Her alarm was quickly sensed by her two companions. The meal became a fitful thing.

Immediately Ranger Laws suspected the presence of coyotes. Sure enough, three of the animals were soon seen in various parts of the field in the act of stalking the deer. Cautiously, cleverly, the coyotes, working in harmony as if guided by some subtle mutual understanding, rounded up the deer in the center of the clearing. Doubtlessly their next move would have been to close in on the deer and eat to their hearts' content, but they then discovered the presence of Ranger Laws. Solemnly and with resignation they filed off the field of conquest into the shadows of the forest.

***************

Another evening Ranger Laws was driving toward Powell's Saddle. A flash of gray shot across the road in the twilight. It was a coyote and not far behind came an enraged doe in full pursuit. Then was seen a strange and unusual spectacle. The deer trampeled the coyote to the earth under her front feet. The reprimanded coyote slunk back across the road with its tail between its legs - a beaten if not a penitent animal.