THE FOX 71 



nothing so much as the having to move. The 

 stolen hunt was their "spree," their "bender," and 

 of course they must take time to get over it. 



Some old hunters think the fox enjoys the chase 

 as much as the hound, especially when the latter 

 runs slow, as the best hounds do. The fox will 

 wait for the hound, will sit down and listen, or play 

 about, crossing and recrossing and doubling upon 

 his track, as if enjoying a mischievous consciousness 

 of the perplexity he would presently cause his pur- 

 suer. It is evident, however, that the fox does not 

 always have his share of the fun: before a swift 

 dog, or in a deep snow, or on a wet day when his 

 tail gets heavy, he must put his best foot forward. 

 As a last resort he "holes up." Sometimes he 

 resorts to numerous devices to mislead and escape 

 the dog altogether. He will walk in the bed of a 

 small creek, or on a rail-fence. I heard of an in- 

 stance of a fox, hard and long pressed, that took to 

 a rail-fence, and, after walking some distance, made 

 a leap to one side to a hollow stump, in the cavity 

 of which he snugly stowed himself. The ruse suc- 

 ceeded, and the dogs lost the trail; but the hunter, 

 coming up, passed by chance near the stump, when 

 out bounded the fox, his cunning availing him less 

 than he deserved. On another occasion the fox 

 took to the public road, and stepped with great care 

 and precision into a sleigh-track. The hard, pol- 

 ished snow took no imprint of the light foot, and 

 the scent was no doubt less than it would have been 

 on a rougher surface. Maybe, also, the rogue had 



