The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-09-20
RUNNING DOWN A FOX.

There Is ~ old proHefb, boys WINCH
says, Il Is the early. bird which catches
the worm" !.
Some one has replied TO this, that i I
the early worm that gets caught. Thii
may be- q good reply, but Il 10 Dota com
pleie answer. In the story am about e
reiGte there q 0 better one. Tor In THU
case itsWRs the carly bird which go
While makipg.a winter visit at his an
cIe's In the country, Frank happened onI
morning To 20 out before breakfast. II
passing through tho Wood-honse he heard
A soTtawdlnR OF q hen outside. He Fa1
swiftly over the chips to tho tatthest door
and there Was % fox Just IN tho oct %
tdiIbS ahen!E She INA come oar jettslJ
intent upon securing her bfeaktast 9
here was q cAse where The bird Wes caught
from bGibg OIL 100. earlyas q Ri q: y
Frank had NOT thought1s he paased The
woodpilc Of needing stick; and when he
law the lox he rushed forward on the first
impulse, simply purposing % save the
FOWL. The head OF tho robber was buried
70 the eyes in the RULED feathers, In the
endeayor TO get q firm hold preparatory u
Bearing her OF. The Win now took
Frank 70 catchthe fox; and he actually gol
Within two feet ,ot the. animal, and
stretched out bis hand TO Seize him, before
being discovered. The fox abandoned his
prey on the instant, but the leap he made
was u abort ono on account Of his night
Al the nextleap he did better; and Id i
few seconds his limbs were as nimble a
ever. The carly bird was saved, but the
late fox was not caught.zgFil .EH..IazHy
Having missed, the prize, Frank ''es-
sAyed al uuUe 70 ease his rage and give the
lDx a bad scare by q wild yell. The small
degree Of fright tho fox felt from this only
served TO Increase his, speed; but tho cry
alarmed Franks uncle, who was at the
moment engaged in feeding his cattle,
The barn was Considerable distance from
the house, and the old farmer made his
appearance at the farther door, pitchtork
In hand, Just as the fox went byJsS
He had been quito hunter In his day,
and the sightoi q fine fox so near stirred
the old spirit 10 him. without waiting
fbr gun, hound, or snow.shoes, he bound
ID from tho door-stone, giving shout
like the below Of an OK. The next leap
d the ioxwA tho shorter on account oil
i, and tho next and oil OF them. The
did gentleman strobe On through tho snow
as.-FaptdlyS rs his scapaciuus body and
stumpy legs would allow, giving vent 10
4 series Of yeils which cause every horse
Ii the stable to snort, aud sol the poultry
10 cacklIng and screaming o. lively 4 rate,
This did mot stop the fox entirely; but the
farmer gained upon him rapidly, until
they were only a few rods apart.
Every, inmate, OF the dwelling WAS now
at door or window watching the exciting
race, and listening with suppressed mlrtll
To the yells, by which, before they, learned
the cause, they had been greatly terrified
The pigs rushed wildly about the pens
with frightened grunts; the cat had
climbed the nail gate.post, where she
stood with depressed ears, arched back
and exaggerated tail; in the barn The
sheep huddled together, while stray lamb.
bleaied plaintively; the calves jumped
wildly about in the pens, uttering harsh
incoherent bleats; and the colt, lis curiosi
ty overcoming fear, thrust dainty head
through an open window, and looked will
wonderful eyes on the amusing spectacle
Tho fox seemed lated 70 fall in o few
moments under the pitchfork OF It's pnr-
suer; when, as he brudished the instru-
ment over his head, something happened
which changed the whole aspect Of affairs
The lat old farmer, between running and
shouting was nearly out otbrtath, and bid
legs were become very uncertain; and his
loo catching iR-a.bafis1E shldbs he wen
felumsily oyer "a 4 eloud olsullE. Thl
little colt snorted and rolled up his eyes
The cat ran down the post and spit hreai
tho pigs; while the human spectators al
tetnated between laughter ct the ludicroui
si0ht and shame that the head oil the fam
lie shonia nave had such an ,ignominiouI
oyerthrow Sos ., z 2 ~ <
Whsn ina farmer, ieIII his voice wen
down WITH MIN. And the lox found the us
~ Ne ,sSs rgSIn~ Az Inc ga gentleman
" Sos n'I ~ 81 Gsct and shoolS the snow from
Ne cIo,hIns HE snn .jSelS came into view
~, ~. ro,rsn iron, insneoting a trai, which
S ~ SS1 a. ma wSaIs sninSs "a mily. q
which tbis iuSitIve VAST A promising mem