166 Reynard's Ambuscade. 



presence of a rabbit in it was the cause of the fox 

 entering in the first place. The rabbit must have 

 had a very bad time of it, for, the drain being closed 

 at the other end with an iron grating, no possibility 

 of escape existed. 



From the traces in the grass and on the dry mud 

 at the mouth it appeared as if the fox had ventured 

 there more than once ; and, as there were many 

 chickens about, his object in lying here was evident. 

 The great hedge being so near, and the narrow space 

 between full of tall mowing grass the edge of the 

 ha-ha wall, too, clothed with stonecrop and grasses 

 growing in the interstices of the loose stones, and 

 further sheltered by a low box hedge it was a place 

 almost made on purpose for Keynard's cunning am- 

 buscade. He is as bold or even bolder than he is 

 cunning. A young dog sent up the drain came back 

 quicker than he went, and refused to venture a second 

 time. The fox remained there all day, and of course 

 ' made tracks ' at night, knowing that his presence 

 had been discovered by the commotion and talking 

 at the mouth of his cave. He might easily have been 

 captured, but that was not attempted on account of 

 the hunt. 



Though the fox as a general rule sleeps during 

 the day, he does not always, but sometimes makes a 

 successful foray in broad daylight. Fowls, for in- 

 stance, at night roost in the sheds at some height 

 from the ground often the sheds are contrived 

 specially to protect them : but in the day they roam 

 about in the vicinity of the rickyards where they are 

 kept. They will make runs down the centre of a 

 double-mound hedge, and while thus rambling occa- 



