^VILY^S STORY 27 



away, although my brother and sisters had taken 

 advantage of the hounds running in the open, and 

 had gone across to the gorse-covert, from which my 

 unfortunate brother just killed had often, in con- 

 sequence of his mangy state, been driven by our 

 mother. Again we had to thank that mother for 

 our safety, for at the time when we were all nearly 

 dead with toil and alarm, it seems she took an 

 opportunity of running across the wood in front of 

 the hounds, which soon got on her scent, and 

 followed her as she led them away for some miles 

 out of the covert. The huntsman then, convinced 

 that they had got on an old fox, as soon as the men 

 could stop the hounds, immediately brought them 

 back to the covert where they had left us, hoping 

 to kill one of us young ones. 



It was not till some time after this memorable 

 day that we ventured to take up our quarters in 

 the wood again. Our mother thought it right to 

 take us away to a covert about tAvo miles distant, 

 where, as the hounds only hunted cubs at this early 

 part of the season, there were no young foxes ; 

 consequently, for that time, we were left undis- 

 turbed, and soon began to feel as much at home as 

 in the covert which we had left. Had it not been 

 for the shooters who frequently came with their 



