170 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



" You need not feel foolish," said his father. " I 

 would much rather have you pity the Rabbit than bang 

 away recklessly, with ' blood in your eyes,' as the say- 

 ing goes. If you sometimes put yourself in the place 

 of the game you hunt, you will never become a ' Hunt- 

 ing Wolf.' But Avhat is that animal Nez is bringing? — 

 it looks like a Fox, — and where is your gun ? "' 



Nat hesitated and stammered : " It is a Fox, the bad 

 Fox that ate the old woman's chickens, — the one that 

 you were going to hunt to-night. I shot him, but it 

 was an accident, and the gun bumped me dreadfully, 

 and uncle is angry and took it away." 



Then Dr. Hunter and Nez came up, the latter 

 carrying an unusually large Fox over his shoulder, 

 which he laid down on the snow, saying, with an air of 

 satisfaction, — • 



" Thar, he'll give no more trouble with his tricks, 

 though we are done out of a hunt, unless we go for 

 Coons. Look at him, old and gray, trap marks on all 

 four legs, and three toes off one foot ; no wonder we 

 couldn't snare him." 



" Nat says that he shot him and that you are vexed. 

 How did it happen ? " asked Mr. Blake of the Doctor, 

 while Olaf drew near, eying the Fox eagerly. 



" Let Nat tell his own story," said the Doctor. 



'• It happened this way," began Nat. " I was getting 

 tired and cold. Stubble didn't start many Rabbits, so 

 uncle said for me to wait a little Avhile by a bunch of 

 hemlocks that kept the wind off, while he and Nez 

 would go around the hill, and then if they found no 

 better luck we would go home. Then — " 



" Yes, but what else did I tell you? " 



