HORSES AND HOUXDS. 225 



visits tlie earth. In the evening he again returns, and having 

 set up liis net, prepares for another few hours' watch. At the 

 turn of the night, the fox generally makes his rush from the 

 earth, and into the net ; in a moment master and dog are upon 

 him, being guided by the bells, even in the darkest night. The 

 sack is thrown over the fox to prevent his biting ; the poacher 

 then feels for his head, and running his right hand under the 

 sack, catches the fox under the right ear, still holding him down; 

 he then slips his left hand carefully under his jaws, and with 

 his thumb over his nose, his victim is secure. 



In rocky countries another plan is adopted. A trap is com- 

 posed of loose stones, with a stone tile to fall behind the fox ; 

 in fact, a wooden mousetrap will give a very good idea of it, 

 except that there is no room for a fox to turn. Foxes, especially 

 old ones, are very shy of venturing into this trap, and I have 

 known them remain in the earth five or six days, and even 

 longer, until quite starved out. In the country I hunted, these 

 stone traps were constantly used by fox-stealers, and many a 

 midnight excursion have they given me and my men to knock 

 them to pieces. Upon one occasion a lot of quarrymen, who, 

 during a fall of snow, had some idle days, tracked a fox into a 

 rocky earth, and set up a stone trap. Hearing of it, I sent the 

 whipper-in to throw it down, which he did in their absence. 

 Upon returning to the place the next day, the trap was again 

 set up, and some men watching, who threatened to thrash Jim, 

 which he told them one at a time they could not do, and that 

 they knew. Have the fox they said they would, and beat any 

 man I sent, and myself into the bargain, if I interfered again. 



This polite message being conveyed to me by Jim, had the 

 effect of raising my hackles a little, and Jim was quite ready 

 for a bit of fighting. We therefore selected half-a-dozen men, 

 and, with short sticks in their hands, set out about ten o'clock 

 at night to the scene of contention. We had about five miles 

 to walk ; the night was quite dark, and the quarrymen had 

 taken up their position in an old cavern, in which they had 

 lighted a fire, upon the brow of a hill, about forty yards distant 

 from the rock in which the fox was confined. The glare of 

 light led us to the spot, and, reflected on the rocks below, 

 showed us also where the trap was set up. Scrambling up 

 through the stunted juniper bushes, we reached an overhanging 

 crag, under which I posted my little band, and then alone 

 ascended to reconnoitre. No sentinel was on the look-out, but 

 the voices of men were loud in the cavern, I quietly removed 

 the stone tile, and sent the stones rolling down the hill, and in 

 a few minutes the whole trap was broken up. I then returned 



Q 



