LETTER XXIV. 263 



notice any keeper of his who should be found setting 

 traps for foxes. He had also said the same thing to Jim 

 one day, in the presence of his head keeper. This was 

 not forgotten, for Jim never fancied these keepers, and 

 being on the outskirts of our country he could not over- 

 look them quite so often as he thought necessary. One 

 of these keepers was present when we ran the fox to 

 ground and promised *^ he should be taken care of." 



Upon our return home, and when I had just dined, Jim 

 requested an audience ; he was always at once admitted. 

 " I have been thinking. Sir," he said, " of what that 

 keeper told you about taking care of the fox, and my 

 notion is, that he does mean to take care of him, and 

 such care that we shall never find him any more. I don't 

 like those men and never did." " Well, Jim," I said, "I 

 have an idea also that he won't have fair play, but we 

 cannot help it now, such a night as this is." (It was dark 

 as pitch and raining as well ; and the place we had run 

 the fox to ground in was at least ten miles from the 

 kennels.) " I don't wish you to turn out in such weather 

 as this, and the fox must take his chance." ** Well, Sir," 

 replied Jim, "if you don't mind it, I don't, and that fox 

 is too good to have his brains knocked out by those 

 rascally keepers. I shall go. Sir, and see after him." 



Having hastily swallowed a tumbler of wine, and with- 

 out changing his clothes, Jim mounted a hack, and set off 

 on his dark excursion. Arriving at a farm house near 

 the gravel pit he there left his horse in the care of the 

 farmer, and proceeded on foot and alone to the spot. 

 Having a good thick stick in his hand he groped about 

 at the earth for the traps which he suspected were set 

 there. Snap went one directly — this he put away. 



