EARLY DAY STORIES. 221 



it was plain to see what he was about, and watched him for 

 some time. He was digging in the black mud just inside 

 and at the border of the little rivulets made by the springs, 

 and I think was eating the roots of some kind of water 

 plant. At any rate he was making his dinner off something 

 he found in the mud. After watching him for a time I 

 threw down some little pieces of earth, which struck in the 

 water near him. He stopped and looked about for half a 

 minute then went on with his work again. Finally I threw 

 down a larger piece, which startled him so much that he 

 ran into the brush out of sight. 



The red fox has always been rare here but in the earl\ 

 days one was sometimes seen, and there may still be a few 

 left in the wooded belts bordering the Missouri and Niobra- 

 ra rivers, for it is a hard animal to exterminate. I have 

 only seen one live one west of the Missouri river, and that 

 was in the Black Hills. I was trailing a deer through a 

 tract of country where there was a good deal of fallen tim- 

 ber. The track was winding about in a very crooked way, 

 indicating that the deer was looking for a good place to lie 

 down, consequently I was going very slowly, keeping a sharp 

 lookout ahead. All at once I saw a red fox, standing still, 

 not more than a dozen rods ahead, and looking at me. I 

 put the rifle to my shoulder — it was already cocked — and 

 drew a bead at his head, and then put down the gun — I was 

 hunting deer, not foxes. I watched him a moment and then 

 took the track again which led directly toward the fox. As 

 I started toward him he trotted on again, but getting a little 

 way ahead stopped and waited, this time turning broadside 

 and looking back. Again I took aim, and again neglected 

 to shoot. I do not remember how many times he turned to 

 look at me but certainly three or four. He was very tame, 

 and very impudent. I know of only two animals that have 

 as much impudence as a red fox, they are the weasel and 

 the chicaree or red squirrel. The fox soon turned off to 



