128 WOODLAND CREATURES 



no friends but human beings, but she had no idea 

 of coming because one of them called her. She 

 looked to no one for orders or for leadership. I 

 have heard a theory that the dog's obedience is 

 derived from the instinct of his wild ancestors, 

 that hunted in a pack, and gave their allegiance 

 to a pack leader. There may be a good deal in 

 it, for it is certain that the fox, which is a solitary 

 animal, has no more idea of doing what it is told 

 than it has of flying. Not that Toby was lacking 

 in brains, for the older she grew the more intelligent 

 she became, but her mentality was more like 

 that of a cat. The fox in many ways has more 

 in common with the cat than the dog, and Toby 

 in character greatly resembled a kitten, though 

 in some of the mischievous tricks she played 

 there was far more of the puppy than the kitten. 

 She was certainly a very spoilt pet, for we were 

 all devoted to her, and wasted much time playing 

 with her. At eight weeks old she was like a puppy, 

 galloping all over the house, and getting into 

 every description of mischief. She loved to get 

 into the bedrooms and pull the boots from under 

 the dressing-tables. She spoilt one pair for me 

 before I knew what she was doing, and as for boot- 

 laces she chewed up an appalling number. She 

 simply loved them, which was queer, as they 

 never agreed with her, seldom, if ever, failing 

 to make her bilious. Nevertheless she would 

 eat them whenever she got the chance, and hardly 

 ever failed to take advantage of an open bedroom 

 door. More than once, after Toby had visited 



