118 Photographing a Wild Fox 
having found it, I was more worried than the foxes, 
for I feared some one else might discover it too. If 
so, the young would be dug out, the home destroyed, 
and my fox-study ended. 
It was nearly noon when I completed the study of 
the den and its surroundings. To the south I could 
hear the hound, but after waiting some time for him 
to come back I returned to the house without him, 
and he arrived about two hours later. 
During the afternoon I laid plans for the further 
study of the old fox. The following morning I led 
the dog to the former place of starting. The fox 
immediately appeared just as he had done the previous 
day, and away they ran over the course of the morning 
before. With field glass in hand I followed until I 
reached a point on the side of the ravine opposite 
the den from which I commanded a full view of the 
valley below, as well as of the den. Here I concealed 
myself and awaited further developments. 
The sound of the hound’s baying died away in the 
distance, and for an hour the stillness was broken 
only by the occasional song of the birds and the 
chirp of insects. Then again I heard the hound, and 
in a little while he appeared in sight in the valley 
below. He had apparently lost the trail, and so it 
proved; for in another half-hour he passed my place 
