The Springfield Fox 



ground. She brought them on purpose te 

 Lll it, but at the first whiff their every hair 

 stood on end, they trembled, they knew not 

 why-it seemed to tingle through then blood 

 and fill them with instinctive hate and fear. 

 And when she saw its full effect she told them- 

 "That is man-scent." 



Ill 



Meanwhile the hens continued to disappear. 

 I had not betrayed the den of cubs. Indeed 

 I thought a good deal more of the l.ttle rascals 

 than I did of the hens ; but uncle was dread- 

 fully wrought up and made most disparaging 

 remarks about my woodcraft. To please him 

 I one day took the hound across to the woods 

 and seating myself on a stump on the open hill- 

 side, I bade the dog go on. Within three min- 

 utes he sang out in the tongue all hunters know 

 so well, « Fox ! fox ! fox 1 straight away down 



the valley." ^ . , . 



After awhile I heard them coming back. 

 There I saw the fox-Scarface-loping lightly 

 across the river-bottom to the stream. In be 



208 



