FOX HUNTING IN AMERICA. 271 



the animal, as is very common, had climbed upon the top rail 

 of the fence, and walked along it to such a distance before 

 leaping off, that the dogs were entirely thrown out. I accord- 

 ingly followed the fence with the whole pack about me, clear 

 round the plantation, but without striking the trail again or 

 making any discovery. 



The affair now became quite serious. The reputation of 

 our hounds was suffering; and besides, I found they were 

 really losing confidence in themselves, and would not run with 

 half the staunch eagerness which had before characterized 

 them. The joke of being regularly baffled, had been so often 

 repeated, that they now came to consider it a settled thing 

 that they were never to shake another fox again, and were 

 disposed to give up in despair. Some of the neighbors had 

 grown superstitious about it, and vowed that this must be a 

 weir-fox, who could make himself invisible when he pleased. 



At last I determined to watch at the fence-corner, and see 

 what became of the fox. Within about the usual time, we 

 heard him heading towards the mysterious corner, as the 

 voices of the pack clearly indicated. I almost held my breath 

 in my concealment, while I watched for the appearance of 

 this extraordinary creature. In a little while, the fox made 

 his appearance, coming on at quite a leisurely pace, a little 

 in advance of the pack. When he reached the corner, he 

 climbed in a most unhurried and deliberate way to the top 

 rail of the fence, and then walked along it, balancing himself 

 as carefully as a rope-dancer. He proceeded down the side 

 of the fence next to the forest in which I was concealed. 



I followed cautiously, so as just to keep him in view. Be- 

 fore he had thus proceeded more than two hundred yards, the 

 hounds came up to the corner, and he very deliberately paused 

 and looked back for a moment, then he hurried on along the 

 fence some paces farther, and when ho came opposite a dead, 

 but leaning tree, which stood inside the fence, some twelve or 

 sixteen feet distant, he stooped, made a high and long bound 



