134 WOODLAND CREATURES 



into the garden for exercise, played about for 

 a little, and then I saw her run under some bushes. 

 I called her back, but she did not come, so I went 

 to see what she was doing. I could not find her ; 

 I hunted high and low, and looked in all directions. 

 Others came to help, we all called and searched, 

 but she had vanished. " She will turn up 

 presently/' we said, reassuring each other, but 

 she did not. We never saw her again. 



For many nights the doors were left open, 

 rabbit meat was placed in readiness for her, and I 

 scoured the country in all directions, trying in 

 vain to find some trace of her ; but she might 

 have been spirited away, and I have no theory 

 to account for her sudden and complete dis- 

 appearance save the " Call of the Wild/* She 

 must have on a sudden impulse run away into the 

 woods. Poor little, affectionate, fascinating, yet 

 wilful Toby, I wonder what her fate was ? She 

 was a teasing, worrying little imp, but I would 

 have given much to have had her safely back 

 or to have known for certain that she could earn 

 her own living, and was hunting and killing for 

 herself in the wild woods. 



(For a note on the status and scientific name of 

 the British fox see the end of Chapter V.) 



