Vixen 135 



I one day took the hound across to the woods 

 and seating myself on a stump on the open 

 hillside, I bade the dog go on. Within three 

 minutes he sang out in the tongue all hunters 

 know so well, " Fox ! fox ! fox I straight away 

 down the valley." 



After awhile I heard them coming back. 

 There I saw the fox — Scarface — loping lightly 

 across the river-bottom to the stream. In he 

 went and trotted along in the shallow water 

 near the margin for two hundred yards, then 

 came out straight toward me. Though in full 

 view, he saw me not, but came up the hill 

 watching over his shoulder for the hound. 

 Within ten feet of me he turned and sat with 

 his back to me while he craned his neck and 

 showed an eager interest in the doings of the 

 hound. Ranger came bawling along the trail 

 till he came to the running water, the killer of 

 scent, and here he was puzzled ; but there was 

 only one thing to do ; that was by going up 

 and down both banks find where the fox had 

 left the river. 



The fox before me shifted his position a little 

 to get a better view and watched with a most 

 human interest all the circling of the hound. 

 He was so close that I saw the hair of his 

 shoulder bristle a little when the dog came in 



