AN ECCENTRIC FOX. 15 



proceed, for well she knew that I did not take 

 my woods by storm in this way. 



I said nothing in reply, but I had no intention 

 of being left, for I did not know what dwellers 

 the forest might contain, and I had a vivid 

 remembrance of being greatly startled, only a 

 day or two before, by unearthly cries in these 

 very woods ; of seeing a herd of young cattle 

 rushing frantically away, turning apprehensive 

 glances toward the sounds, and huddling in a 

 frightened heap down by the bars, while the 

 strange cries came nearer and nearer, till I 

 should not have been surprised to see any sort 

 of a horror emerge ; of calling out to the farmer 

 whom I met at the door, " Oh, there 's something 

 dreadful up in the woods ! " and his crushing 

 reply, " Yes, I heard it. It 's a fox barking ; we 

 hear one now and then." 



I cast no doubts on the veracity of that 

 farmer, though I could not but remember the 

 license men sometimes allow themselves when 

 trying to quiet fears they consider foolish ; nor 

 did his solution seem to account satisfactorily for 

 the evident terror of the cattle, which had lived 

 in those woods all their lives, and had no reason 

 to fear the " bark " of a fox. I preferred, there- 

 fore, not to encounter any such eccentric " fox " 

 alone ; hence I refused to listen to my friend's 

 entreaties, but simply followed on, over fallen 



