Vixen I 39 



by irannc rushes of the dogs after the old fox, 

 who hovered near in the woods, Pat called : 



" Here they are, sor! '* 



It was the den at the end of the burrow, and 

 cowering as far back as they could, were the 

 four little woolly cubs. 



Before I could interfere, a murderous blow 

 from the shovel, and a sudden rush for the 

 fierce little terrier, ended the lives of three. 

 The fourth and smallest was barely saved by 

 holding him by his tail high out of reach of the 

 excited dogs. 



He gave one short squeal, and his poor 

 mother came at the cry, and circled so near 

 that she would have been shot but for the ac- 

 cidental protection of the dogs, who somehow 

 always seemed to get between, and whom she 

 once more led away on a fruitless chase. 



The little one saved alive was dropped into a 

 bag, where he lay quite still. His unfortunate 

 brothers were thrown back into their nursery 

 bed, and buried under a few shovelfuls of earth. 



We guilty ones then went back into the 

 house, and the little fox was soon chained in 

 the yard. No one knew just why he was kept 

 alive, but in all a change of feeling had set 

 in, and the idea of killing him was without a 

 supporter. 



