1.".4 WJ'I'Il .V.I7T/;/'; J.\7> J CAM HI!. \. 



eitilit feet 111 leii^tli, and leadiiiii" straiglit awav 

 from tlie liole at which tlio Fox liad entered. Upon 

 tliis ])atli lie l)uilt a sul>stantial passa^'e, nine or ten 

 indues wide l)v twelve^ or tliirteen in height, wliieh 

 narrowed soniewliat abrujitlv at its outer end into 

 a mere slit tliroup'h wliicli it was impossible for 

 the ])risoiicr to escape. About one-third of the 

 distance from the end of the passage, built ov(t 

 the hole b\' which Iveynard had entered his lair, 

 the stones forming- the sides and roof were so 

 arranged as to allow a lieav}' slate to work up 

 and doAvn with ease in the form of a sluice, 

 '^riie slate had a hole through its up})er part, and 

 to this was tied a strong i)iece of string" which 

 was ])assed over a smooth stick arranged like a 

 trestle close to the slate, so as to susjiend it in a 

 perfectly plumb position and thus allow it to work 

 up and dowm with ease. The string then ran 

 forward to another trestle jilaced almost directly 

 over the outer end of the passage, and finally ended 

 in a small lirass ring, which was passed over the 

 end of a short jnece of stick jirotruding horizontally 

 from the slit. Directly the Fox cam(> forward 

 along the passage and began to sniif the fresli air 

 and tr\- to widen the slit by scratching, he j)ut his 

 fool on the inner end of the stick and at once 

 so depressed it that the brass ring slip])ed olV its 

 opposite end and released the slate, which instantly 

 fell and eifectiiall\- barred retreal lo his stronghold 

 in the rocks. 



f'oxes caught in ibis wa\' are often shown round 

 amongst hill fanners, who are yvvv glad 1o see such 

 in\-e1ei-ate enemies of llieir (ieese in ca])tivit\', and 

 then rulhlesslx' slain, or taken t(» some huntable 

 part of the counlrN and tiu-iied down ni front of a 

 nack of hounds. 



