30 meters

Dry from the summer heat the tall grasses rustle in the hot wind. He snuffles, the wind is coming off his prey, he can smell the stink of it. He moves forward carefully, timing his movements with the gusts and eddies of wind, the rustle of movement lost in the breezes.

20 meters

He crouches for long moments, his prey takes shade under a strangely twisted tree, safe from the midday suns. The tip of his tail flicks expectantly, with will he calms it. His prey hears nothing.

10 meters

He is up to the edge of the clearing, in it the grass is matted down from use, his prey is not the only one to use the tree as shelter. He changes stance from stalking to prepared to spring. Two bounds and the prey will be his. He forces his tail to calm itself. He waits for his prey to look away. His butt wiggles in defiance.

The moment comes.

Taut muscles and sinews launch him forward. one jump, the prey hears but turns too late, two jumps, the powerful legs launch him in a graceful and terrible arc. He strikes his victim in the chest, knocking the wind from it, eliminating any chance of escape.
The prey fights back but its struggles are futile. Hobbes stifles a giggle as Calvin tries to crawl away.
“I thought I told you to stay with the ship”
” You did, and I did” replies Hobbes, “but you didn’t say how looong I was to stay” {{giggle}}

Well, he’s Hobbes, fuzzy bellied pouncer who loves the belly rubs and smooches. He gets dragged along by Calvin into just about every misadventure the spaceman has. He’s not so secretly in love with Suzie. and his favorite tactic is the sneak up and pounce.

Hobbes