28 THE LIFE OF A FOX 



spaniels, we should have even preferred it ; and they 

 so frequently moved us that we soon took little 

 notice of them, except by going from one part of 

 the wood to the other. Indeed, we were rather 

 benefited by them than otherwise, for we occasionally 

 picked up a wounded or dead bird, hare, or rabbit, 

 and after eating as much as we could, we always 

 buried the remainder, scratching a hole in the 

 ground with our claws, and covering it over with 

 earth. Even this made us enemies ; for when by 

 accident the dogs smelt it, and drew it out, the 

 keepers immediately told their master that if they 

 were not allowed to kill the foxes, there would not 

 be a head of game left. 



Constant disturbance after this induced us to 

 return to the strong gorse where we had previously 

 been, and which was nearly impenetrable by shooters ; 

 but we had not been here more than a few days, 

 when, about ten o'clock in the morning, towards 

 the end of October, I was again alarmed by hearing 

 Foster the huntsman's now well-known voice : 

 " Sawyer, get round the other side of the covert ; 

 if an old fox breaks away, let him go, stop the 

 hounds, and clap them back into the covert again, 

 and then they will get settled to a cub. In-hoick ! 

 e-dhoick ! e-dhoick ! " I listened with breathless 



- Tiasii O ii u tBimm:M f ' f\iM \ 



