THE FOX. 



259 



to open the park-doors, lest proscribed enemies, 

 such as rabbits, &c, should gain admittance ; and 

 thus cause a second evil, as bad as the first. Nor 

 could Keynard be allowed to enjoy any longer 

 his present position ; as the remaining Egyptian 

 goose, fowls, ducks and game, must inevitably 

 have fallen a sacrifice to his unbounded voracity. 

 Wherefore, running the risk of our foxhunters' 

 high displeasure, and quite prepared to be consi- 

 dered by that part of the Nimrod- community, 

 (which sometimes does not see things in their true 

 light) as a modern Vandal, I signed old Reynard's 

 death-warrant, to be put in execution without loss 

 of time. Whereupon, a spring -gun, by way of 

 scaffold, — with a heavy charge of buck-shot, (to 

 answer the purpose of a rope,) was put down with 

 studied science in order that a stop might be put 

 to the intruder's career for ever. 



As we read in the famous ballad of Chevy- 

 Chase, — 



" Against Sir Hugh Montgomerie, 

 So right the shaft was set, 

 The grey-goose wing, that was thereon, 

 In his heart's-bloocl was wet." 



So was our implement of death, pointed at Sir Rey- 

 nard. A little before two o'clock, on the following 

 morning, a tremendous explosion announced that 



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