114 THE LIFE OF A FOX 



distress, and on going to the spot whence the noise 

 proceeded I discovered that two of my brethren 

 were confined in a stone di-ain, where they had been 

 several days without food, and were nearly starved. 

 I used every exertion in my power to scratch away 

 the stones which had been placed to stop up the 

 entrance, in order to prevent a fox going into it, 

 as Lord Elcho's hounds were to meet near it next 

 day. Fortunately Mr. Wilson, the owner of 

 the land, passed that way and saw that the 

 ground and stones had been lately disturbed by 

 me, when he removed them, and saw the two 

 foxes, one of which was found dead shortly after. 

 He ascertained that his man had stopped them in 

 nine days before, and that he forgot to open the 

 drain again. 



I once crossed the Tweed at a dangerous part, 

 thinking that I should, by so doing, leave the 

 hounds and all behind. Not so ; for the huntsman 

 was not to be stopped, but swam his horse, as two 

 or three others did, across the river, Treadwell, Mr. 

 Robertson's^ huntsman, taking the lead. Having 

 thus crossed the river without gaining my point, 

 and running in a ring of several miles, I recrossed 

 the river at a spot where it was impossible for 



* The late Mr. Robertson of Ladykirk. — Ed. 



