88 THE LIFE OF A FOX 



would not have chopped that vixen hi cub ; for 

 vixens in that state are unable to run far, and are 

 unapt to move till pressed to do so by the approach 

 of danger. She probably had been so much used 

 to see the keeper and his dogs pass, that, not 

 hearing the huntsman's voice or horn, she was 

 taken by surprise when the hounds got round her ; 

 if she had moved before, she might have been seen, 

 and the hounds stopped in time to save her. No 

 doubt she had been there some weeks before, and, 

 in consequence of having a good friend at the gi-eat 

 house not being ever disturbed, she beheved that 

 she was safe." 



I would not venture to hsten any longer, for I 

 heard the same hounds running another fox in the 

 gorse close by me. It appeared that there was also 

 another besides, making altogether three of us. 

 Finding this to be the case, and thinking to be very 

 cunning, I took an early opportunity of quitting 

 the covert ; and had scarcely got across two fields 

 before I saw a multitude of men on horseback riding 

 along the road in a parallel direction to that which 

 I was going. They had seen me leave the covert 

 without waiting for the hounds, which they ought 

 to have known were running still after another fox ; 

 however, when they found that the hounds were 



