through the woods to the big plantation house 
set well back in a grove of wide-spreading live- 
oaks. On his way he heard the horn blowing and 
knew the fox hunters were afoot calling the dogs 
for the chase. He waited until the five horse- 
men and half a dozen hounds were well away 
from the house and then carefully went up back 
of the barn, crossing the lot to the chicken 
house. With great care he opened the door and 
went inside. In three minutes he was out again 
with two fat hens in a corn sack. This he threw 
over his shoulder and then glided toward the 
shadow of the barn. Nota sound had he made, 
and so skilfully was his work done that not 
one note of alarm escaped the captured hens. 
No one knew better than Pete just how to do 
such things. , 
As he went along he heard the hounds in full 
ery which told him they were hot on the trail of a 
fox. It was nearing the hour of daybreak when 
he entered the strip of pine woods near the Cow 
Heaven plantation. He knew by the sound 
that the dogs and hunters had worked around 
to these woods, but for several minutes past 
124 
