ANTICS OP A BLACK FOX. 173 



would bring was a supply of pocket money that I could 

 see no end to ; but once, and only once, during that visit, 

 had I the fortune to almost realise my wish. I had been 

 hunting all clay by the margin of a distant lake. Tired 

 and unsuccessful, about the hour of sunset I ap- 

 proached a clearing of a few acres in the forest, where 

 Indian corn had been grown and just gathered into 

 shocks. My companion was a little half-bred terrier, 

 who had endeared himself to me from his sagacity and 

 obedience. As I neared the brush fence which sur- 

 rounded the opening, with the habitual caution that 

 residents in wild lands learn, I secreted myself behind 

 a stump, and took a careful survey ; for deer are fond 

 of corn, so are bears, as well as all the small varieties 

 of game. I had not remained thus hidden for many 

 minutes when what I had taken for a charred stump 

 suddenly became animated, and remarkable were th& 

 movements that heralded this transformation. One 

 more glance told me it was a fox of the long- coveted 

 species ; but what the mischief was he about ? mad 

 surely, and for this reason, no creature in his senses 

 could otherwise make such a fool of himself. First he 

 took hold of his tail, and spun round like a kitten, next 

 moment he was turning summersaults, or struggling on 

 his back, kicking his legs in the air, then the tail-trick 

 was reverted to again, and so on. For several minutes 

 I stood transfixed ; pug was too far off to shoot at, and 

 any attempt at a stalk was too dangerous to put into 

 practice. But my patience was not severely taxed.. 

 "With a sudden spring the fox dashed forward; up 

 flew a dozen Spruce grouse, and the black-coated 

 gentleman, with a bird in his mouth, quietly trotted 

 towards cover, giving me a cross shot at forty 



