76 WINTER SUNSHINE 



treetop, under our very noses, and drew the fire of 

 three of our party, myself among the number, but, 

 thanks to the interposing trees and limbs, escaped 

 unhurt. Then the dogs took up the trail and there 

 was lively music again. The fox steered through 

 the fields direct for the ridge where we had passed 

 up in the morning. We knew he would take a turn 

 here and then point for the mountain, and two of 

 us, with the hope of cutting him ofif by the old 

 orchard, through which we were again assured he 

 would surely pass, made a precipitous rush for that 

 point. It was nearly half a mile distant, most of 

 the way up a steep side-hill, and if the fox took the 

 circuit indicated he would probably be there in 

 twelve or fifteen minutes. Running up an angle of 

 46° seems quite easy work for a four-footed beast 

 like a dog or fox, but to a two-legged animal like a 

 man it is very heavy and awkward. Before I got 

 half way up there seemed to be a vacuum all about 

 me, so labored was my breathing, and when I 

 reached the summit my head swam and my knees 

 were about giving out ; but pressing on, I had barely 

 time to reach a point in the road abreast of the 

 orchard, when I heard the hounds, and, looking 

 under the trees, saw the fox, leaping high above the 

 weeds and grass, coming straight toward me. He 

 evidently had not got over the first scare, which our 

 haphazard fusillade had given him, and was making 

 unusually quick time. I was armed with a rifle, 

 and said to myself now was the time to win the 

 laurels I had coveted. For half a day previous I 



