132 WOODLAND CREATURES 



she made his life a burden to him, and poor 

 Spitfire had to endure her attentions, for he never 

 got a chance of repaying her, and dare not if 

 he had, for, like all bullies, he was a bit of a 

 coward. 



Toby, having learnt her way about the garden, 

 had become as bold out of doors as indoors, but 

 she was sometimes frightened by strange noises. 

 She did not mind a sound, however loud, if she 

 had heard it before, but anything new would 

 send her, helter-skelter, to the house. The fact that 

 she always ran straight home when frightened 

 made me think there was no fear of losing her. 

 It was her home, she had nowhere else to go, and 

 no reason to run away, was my argument, but 

 I forgot that most powerful of impulses, the " Call 

 of the Wild/' which will so certainly lure a tamed 

 animal back to its native woods. Sooner or later 

 the spell works and they go. But, before telling 

 of the end, I must say how Toby grew and flourished, 

 how her long thin tail filled out into a thick brush, 

 how her woolly grey covering gave way to the 

 handsome coat of the adult fox, and how at three 

 months old she was a most lovely creature. Each 

 day she became more charming, more mischievous, 

 lovable, and wilful. 



She would come out of her sleeping box, spring 

 upon my knee, and sit down to be stroked and 

 petted, gradually rolling over, until she lay on her 

 back on my lap, so that I might tickle and stroke 

 her underneath. Then, with many yawns, which 

 showed all her strong white teeth, and much 



