18 l^HE LIFE OF A FOX 



pursued by the villainous dog, and seeing that 1 

 should soon be overtaken, turned round, and shpt 

 away between his legs. I then made towards the 

 hedge, and the dog springing after me, I suddenly 

 turned round again, when he, trying to do the same, 

 tumbled heels over head, and nearly broke his 

 precious neck. INIy comfort was to think that he 

 was certainly born to be hanged, for he followed 

 me again as if nothing was the matter, and soon 

 overtaking me, wearied as I was with the sport (I 

 think they call it), he seized me by the back of the 

 neck, and jogged away with me in his mouth to 

 his master, who clapped me into his enormous 

 pocket, and carried me home. I was kept there in 

 a dark and dirty place, where all sorts of animals 

 had been kept before. There I remained, who by 

 nature am the cleanliest of animals, with my hairs 

 all clotted with mire and filthy moisture, and should 

 certainly have pei'ished of a certain loathsome sick- 

 ness, had not another gamekeeper luckily seen me, 

 and told my owner the certain consequence of 

 keeping me so. I was then taken out and put into 

 a hamper out of doors, ready to be carried by the 

 night-coach to London for sale. After trying in 

 vain to gnaw a hole for my escape, I set about 

 making all the noise I could, which, the night being 



