114 



THE HUNTING FIELD 



when they ought to be out, why they must just go 

 without their suppers. Do not, however, let sports- 

 men condemn a keeper for an occasional blank. 

 Who knows but a fox, finding his earth stopped, may 

 say to himself, " I'll cut my stick ; for, if I mistake 

 not, those terrible high bred dogs of Mr. Rattlecover's 

 will be here to-day.'"' It is not attributing too much 

 sagacity to the wily animal to suppose that he will 

 recognise the features that preceded a former dis- 

 comfiture. Foxes are quite as good hands as other 

 animals at discriminating where harm is meant and 

 none — who are their friends and who not. How 

 leisurely a fox disturbed by the sombre dressed 

 shooter trots away, sniffing the air and looking over 

 his shoulder, as much as to say, these bothersome 

 people are not wanting me. He takes them as coolly 

 as the '' Artful Dodger " would take a policeman in 

 quest of a comrade with whom he has not been 

 doing " business " lately. 



Here is old Foxfix himself, we declare, doing the 

 electric telegraph with his cap, rejoicing the hearts of 

 a now desponding field. 





