270 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



Herod in the wonders we have to tell concerning it ; so, that 

 on the whole, the question of rivalry may be set down as near 

 about as long as it is short. 



Admitting all the champions of the Red Fox desire, the 

 Gray Fox must be acknowledged to be smart, decidedly smart ! 

 It frequently climbs trees with an awkward readiness, particu- 

 larly in the summer time but its favorite resort is to holes. 

 Indeed, from what I remember of the Gray Fox, I should say 

 emphatically that it was " of the earth, earthy," for in lime- 

 stone regions, such as Kentucky, Tennessee, &c., where sinks 

 or holes in the ground are abundant, the fellow only conde- 

 scends to run for recreation, and takes to a hole precisely as 

 soon as he becomes blown. 



An incident occurred in my own experience, and in the 

 southern part of Kentucky, illustrating the astonishing saga- 

 city of this fox. I was enthusiastically addicted to fox hunt- 

 ing, and kept a fine pack of hounds. Several young men of 

 the neighborhood kept packs of dogs also, and we used very 

 frequently to meet, and join in the chase with all our forces. 



There was a certain briary old field of great extent, near 

 the middle of which we could on any morning of the year, 

 start a Gray Fox. After a chase of an hour or so, just 

 enough to blow the dogs and horses well, we would invariably 

 lose the fox at a given spot, the fence corner of a large planta- 

 tion, which was opened into a heavy forest on one side of this 

 old field ! The frequency and certainty of this event became 

 the standing joke of the country. Fox hunters from other 

 neighborhoods would bring their pack for miles, to have a run 

 out of this mysterious fox, in the -hope of clearing up the 

 mystery. But no. They were all baffled alike. We often 

 examined the ground critically, to find out, if possible, the 

 mode of escape, but could discover nothing, that in any way 

 accounted for it, or suggested any thing in regard to it. That 

 it did not fly, was very sure ; that it must escape along the 

 fence in some way was equally so. My first idea was, that 



