26 



THE LIFE OF A FOX 



more beaten and terrified than myself, and who, on 

 hearing something move and not knowing it was I, 

 ran back out of sight in a moment, and I saw no 

 more of him then. I remained where I was hidden 

 until I had partly recovered from my fears, and 

 not hearing the noise of hounds, had crept into 

 some thick bushes, where I lay quiet, when to my 

 horror I again heard the halloo of the huntsman, 

 who seemed to be taking the hounds round the 

 wood, with now and then the tongue of a single 

 hound ; then, all on a sudden the deep voice of 

 Sa^vyer, the whipper-in, calling, " Tally-ho ! there he 

 goes ; 'tis a mangy cub ! " In a minute every hound 

 was after him, and in full cry for a quarter of an 

 hour ; suddenly the noise ceased, and the fatal 

 halloo, " Whoop ! " was often repeated by the men 

 ^vith " Tear him, boys ; whoop ! whoop ! " And 

 that was the end of my poor, mangy brother. They 

 then, not having seen any other of us for some 

 time, thought we were gone to ground, and went 

 away. Happy was I to hear that horn, which had 

 before caused me such terror, calling away the 

 hounds, that, to judge from their loud breathing as 

 they passed near me, were not loath to go, for it 

 was nearly ten o'clock, and the heat most oppressive. 

 They were mistaken in tliinking we were all gone 



