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•' proceed fecurely by the blazed path, and have every thing ready 

 " for the evening." Early the next morning, the grey fox took his 

 depa:-ture following the path very diligently, till he came to a place 

 where the fires of the autumn had been bufy. After deliberating whe- 

 ther he fliould flop and wait for further directions, he took the refo- 

 lution to proceed, and after croffing the burnt traft, over afhes and 

 embers, luckily fell upon the blazed path on the other fide. This led 

 him to a hunting encampment. From the fmoke he took it to be in- 

 habited, or but lately deferted, and refolved in fuch a doubtful cafe, to 

 venture on nothing without the advice of his friend. The red fox having 

 reached the wigwam, was again difappointed in not meeting his aJTo- 

 ciate. He travelled back along the blazed path, and after a tedious 

 march, found him in a hollow tree, nearly oppofite the encampment. 

 He perceived at once that his friend had miftaken the hunting camp 

 for a wigwam, but it was now too late, and he was too hungry to 

 turn back, he therefore began to reconnoitre. He looked through the 

 crevices of the bark, and perceived a quantity of venifon hung up in a 

 ftore-hut, the door of which was clofed. The light of the fire in the 

 adjoining hut fliining through an opening in the common partition, dif- 

 covered an old man employed in preparing fupper for the hunters, who 

 were not yet returned ; a fide of fat venifon hung upon a peg near 

 the place where the old man was fitting. If he broke open the door 

 of the hut, where the hoard was depofited, the noife would create an 

 alarm, which might endanger his being taken ; if he attacked the in- 

 habited hut, the danger was more imminent : he refolved upon his 

 plan. He reprefented the attack of the old man to his companion, 

 as a thing without hazard ; " feize him by the throat," fays he, " while 

 " I carry off the venifon, and when you have throtled him to your 

 " fatisfaftion, follow me." The grey fox wiflied by a courageous ex- 

 ploit, to retrieve his late errors. He attacked the old man boldly j 

 furprize at firft gave him the advantage: they rolled on the floor, in 

 a fort of worrying warfare, till the poor fox. finding he was likely to 

 get the worft of it, by his fuperior agility with the help of the little 



breath 



