Fox - Ways. 23 



paying not the slightest attention apparently to his 

 excited audience ; only he draws slowly back from the 

 water's edge, as if to give them room as they crowd 

 nearer. 



They are on shore at last ; then, while they are lost 

 in the most astonishing caper of. all, the fox dashes 

 among them, throwing them into the wildest confusion. 

 His first snap never fails to throw a duck back onto 

 the sand with a broken neck; and he has generally time 

 for a second, often for a third, before the flock escapes 

 into deep water. Then he buries all his birds but 

 one, throws that across his shoulders, and trots off, 

 wagging his head, to some quiet spot where lie can 

 eat his dinner and take a good nap undisturbed. 



When with all his cunning Reynard is caught nap- 

 ping, he makes use of another good trick he knows. 

 One winter morning some years ago, my friend, the 

 old fox-hunter, rose at daylight for a run with the 

 dogs over the new-fallen snow. Just before calling 

 his hounds, he went to his hen-house, some distance 

 away, to throw the chickens some corn for the day. 

 As he reached the roost, his steps making no sound 

 in the snow, he noticed the trail of a fox crossino- the 

 yard and entering the coop through a low opening 

 sometimes used by the chickens. No trail came out; 

 it flashed upon him that the fox must be inside at 

 that moment. 



