FOX HUNTING. 
99 
time during our absence. At first they watched the 
cunning little scoundrel stealing down the cliff, evi¬ 
dently in pursuit of game ; taking advantage of every 
little inequality in the surface which could serve as an 
ambush, it crept down towards the beach, where some 
sea-birds were resting. The men watched his every 
move with eager curiosity, and at last they saw the 
subtle rascal select his victim—a solitary bird stood 
preening its feathers, arranging its toilet preparatory 
to a little sleep, all unconscious of the danger impend¬ 
ing; having adjusted its plumage to its satisfaction, 
the bird quietly settled down to rest, and dozed off 
quietly to sleep. But a short interval now separated 
the wily fox from its prey, and running quickly from 
its place of concealment, it bounded towards the bird, 
and secured, not the coveted morsel, but a single feather 
from its tail. Without delay, the sea-bird soared aloft 
into the air, leaving the baffled fox in a state of 
evident perplexity. Then began their long-delayed 
chase of the fox, the wild bird screaming as if in satis¬ 
faction, as shot after shot told how eager the pursuit 
was, how difficult the capture. 
The cartridge boxes left with the men for their pro¬ 
tection were nearly emptied of their contents early in 
the day, as the wild duck knew to their cost. And it 
is to this cause they attributed their failure in the 
