1 20 Vixen 



great outcry of crows behind me, and turning", 

 saw a number of these birds darting down at 

 something in the ford. A better view showed 

 that it was the old stor}^ thief catch thief, for 

 there in the middle of the ford was a fox with 

 something in his jaws — he was returning from 

 our barnyard with another hen. The crows, 

 though shameless robbers themselves, are ever 

 first to cry * Stop thief,* and yet more than 

 ready to take * hush-money * va the form of a 

 share in the plunder. 



And this was their game now. The tox to 

 get back home must cress the river, where he 

 was exposed to the full brunt of the crow mob. 

 He made a dash for it, and would doubtless 

 have gotten across with his booty had I not 

 ^ined iVL the attack, whereupon he dropped 

 the hen, scarce dead, and disappeared in the 

 woods. 



This large and regular levy of provisions 

 wholly carried off could mean but one thing, a 

 family of little foxes at home; and to find thenj 

 I now was bound. 



That evening I went with Ranger, my hound, 

 across the river into the Erindale woods. As 

 soon as the hound began to circle, we heard the 

 short, sharp bark of a fox from a thickly wooded 

 ravine close by. Ranger dashed in at oncCt 



