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BEASTS OF THE CHASE. THE FOX. 67 



ever he may feel he never looks flurried, and whether swinging 

 with his long easy stride over the first field, in the full vigour 

 of freshness, or crawling along with his back up as the pack 

 breaks from scent to view, he presents ever the same resolute 

 appearance of knowing exactly what he means to do next 

 though, in the latter case, his meaning is limited to a grim 

 determination to make his teeth meet in the first hound that 

 lays hold of him, and to quit life and grip together. But all 

 runs do not terminate with a tragedy, and considering the 

 craft and resources of the hunted animal, we can only marvel 

 at the perseverance and science which bring so many foxes 

 fairly to hand during the course of a season. 



Gifted with speed, for a few furlongs, at least, in excess of 

 that of the fleetest foxhound, our hero, save in exceptionally open 

 countries, is not long in bringing the pack to their noses ; to 

 get out of sight is his first care, and, even on the downs, his 

 instinct at once shows him how to avail himself of accidenta- 

 tion of ground in order to break the view ; of ploughmen and 

 shepherds he takes his chance he sees them long before they 

 see him, and, if chased by the dogs of the latter a liberty 

 which is seldom carried to close quarters he comforts himself 

 with the reflection that more foxes have been lost than killed 

 through the interference of an over-zealous cur. 



Strongly inclosed or wooded countries naturally afford the 

 fullest opportunities for the exercise of his wiles and dodges ; 

 with the carte du pays at the tips of his pads, he knows every 

 dry ditch, watercourse, meuse, or run where he can slip easily 

 along, but where the hounds must file or force their way, and 

 if he takes to water, which he can do like an otter, we may feel 

 pretty sure that he has no struggle on getting out, though the 

 honeycombed ledge which gave him foot-hold crumbles away 

 at the first touch of his heavier-footed pursuers. 



With a sidelong climb he can surmount most park walls r 

 and he can run up a tree like a cat, if the bark be rough and 

 the incline slightly in his favour, but this is a trick which he 

 does well not to try too often, for if a fox takes to perching, he 



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