214 FAMILIAR LIFE IN FIELD AND FOREST. 



disposition is not an improvident one. On the whole, 

 however, an impartial examination into his account 

 with the henroost shows a surprisingly small percent- 

 age of loss to the latter through his subtractions. 

 And again, I doubt very uracil whether the chickens 

 which Reynard captures are taken from the poultry 

 yard ; a thrifty farmer with a well-ordered henroost 

 is not bothered much by foxes. Reynard lurks on 

 the outskirts of the farm and picks up, night and 

 day, those lawless rovers which a slovenly fence in- 

 vites to the freedom of a boundless world beyond. 



No one but a farmer knows what a trial the roam- 

 ing cow and hen are. If Reynard would only pluck 

 up courage enough to worry the hind legs of wander- 

 ing cattle and somehow or other head them for home, 

 I am' sure the farmer would gladly concede to him 

 the itinerant hen. Without doubt the farm hand 

 wastes more time hunting cows than listening to gos- 

 sip in the country store. As for the roving and de- 

 structive hen, the expense of chicken-yard wire-fenc- 

 ing, and the depredations of half a dozen or more 

 escaped fowls in the newly sowed garden beds — these 

 are sufficiently exasperating to make one wish for a 

 stray fox to administer condign punishment. 



We can spare a few chickens for Reynard's sake ; 

 he will not take many, and he is so thoroughly inter- 

 esting himself that he will amply repay us for the 



