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minutes he always expects to escape. A cub that has 

 never been hunted previously would naturally be 

 alarmed at the cry of hounds, but an old fox is confident 

 in his inherited cunning and acquired knowledge and 

 starts off with the imphcit behef in his abihty to outwit 

 his pursuers. This confidence is frequently misplaced, 

 and an honourable death is the result, but that particular 

 animal being no longer ahve, can no longer benefit by 

 the experience, and is unable to pass it on to others of 

 the tribe. 



Foxes look on a hunt as a game in which they pit 

 their stamina and brains against hounds' noses and a 

 huntsman's skill. Of course, they know that the 

 penalty for being a loser is death, but that only adds 

 interest and excitement to the contest. In proof of 

 the argument that foxes are not the timid and badly 

 frightened animals when pursued by hounds that some 

 people seem to think, is the fact that on many occasions, 

 on poor scenting days, they have been seen to pick up 

 a hen and walk off with it, the hunt being only a few 

 fields distant. A fox fives by hunting and knows quite 

 well when scent is favourable or otherwise, so that if 

 his own nose tells him it is bad, he feels safe in laughing 

 at his enemies and taking it easy. Sometimes his 

 calculations may be upset by an enterprising second 

 whip anticipating the route he would take and galloping 

 forward to view him, but that is risk that the too 

 venturesome must incur in playing with danger. 



In running up-wind, foxes as a rule are making for 

 some earth or drain which they know well, and go 

 straight for their objective without hesitation ; but 

 those starting ofi down wind usually stop at intervals 

 to hsten if hounds are still on their fine, and can judge 

 pretty weU by the cry whether it is needful to hurry or 



