American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-04-10
A DROLL FOX-TRAP.

those rustic neighbOrhoods on the out
skirts of the great maine woods"
Foxes were plenty, for all about those
sunny pioneer clearings birch-partridges
breed by thousands, as also field-mice
and squirrels, making plenty of game for
Reynard.
There were red foxes, cross grays,"
and "silver grays;" even black foxes
were reported. These animals were the
pests of the farm. yards, and made havoc
with the geese, cats. turkeys and chick
ems. In the fall of the year, particularly
after the frOsts, the clearings were over
run by them night and morning. Their
sharp, cur-like banks used often to rouse
us, and of dark evening we would hear
them out in the fields, housing around
the stone heaps, making queer squeak
ing sound like mouse, to call the real
mice out of their grass nests, inside the
stone heaps. This indeed, is favorite
trick of Reynard.
At the time of my story my friend Tom
Edwards Uen years of age) and myself
were in the turkey business, equal part
ners. We owned a flock of thirty
turkeys. These roasted by night In a
large butternut tree in front of Toms
house-in the very top of it-and they
wandered by day about the edges of the
ciearings in quest of beechnuts, which
were very plenty that fall.
All went well till the last week in
October, when, on taking the census one
morning, turkey was found to be miss
ing; the thirty-one had become thirty
since nightfall the previous evening. 1t
was the first one we had lost.
We proceeded to look for traces. Our
suspicious were divided. Tom thought it
was d" the Twombly boys" nefarious Sam
in particular. l thought it might have
been an owl. But under the tree in the
soft dirt, where the potatoes had recent
ly been dug, we found fox tracks and two
or three ominous little wads of feathers,
with one long tail feather adrift. There
upon we concluded that the turkey had
accidentally fallen down out of the but
ternut-had a fit perhaps-and that its
flutterings had attracted the attention of
some passing fox. which had forthwith
taken it in charge. 1t was. as we re-
garded it, one OF those unfortunate oc
currences which no care on our part
could have well foreseen, and a casualty
such as turkey-raisers are unavoidably
heirs to, and we bore our loss with resig-
nation. We were glad to remember that
turkeys did not often fall off their roos,s.
This theory received something of a
check when our flock counted only
twenty-nine the next morning. There
were more fox-tracks and a great many
new and altogether ugly aspect on the
matter. No algebra was needed to figure
the outcome of the turkey business at
this rate, together with our prospective
profits, in the light of this new fact. 1t
was clear that something must be done,
and at once too, or ruin would swallow
up the poultry firm.
Rightly or wrongly, we attributed the
mischief to certain silver gray" fox
that had several times been seen in the
neigh borhood that autumn.
1t would take far too much space to
relate in detail the plans laid and put
into execution to catch that fox during
the next two weeks. / recollect that we
set three traps for him to no purpose, and
that we borrowed a foxhound to hunt
him with, but me rely succeeded in rum
ming him to his burrow in a neighboring
rocky hillside, whence we found it inn
possible 10 dislodge the willy fellow.
Meanwhile the fox TOR foXes) had sue
ceeded in getting two more of the tur-
keys.
Heroes, it is said, are born of great
crises. This dilemma of ours developed
Toms genius.
I'm have that fox" he said, when the
traps failed; and when the hound proved
of no avail he still said, LII have him
yet"
But now L aSkeu. ON Sdlu Ilc
would show me. He brought two
bushel basket and went out IN the fields.
In the stone-heaps and beside The Old
logs and stumps there were dozens OF
deserted muuse-nests, each wad of fine
dry grass as large as quart box. These
he gathered u }, and filled the great bas
ket.
There" said he, triumphantly, don't
them smell mousey?"
They certainly did; they savored as
strongly of mice as Toms question of
bad grammar.
And don't foxes catch NIECE de
manded Tom, confidently.
Yes, but ] don't see how that's going
to catch the fox" said.
Well, look here, then, I'll show We,
said he. "Play you's the fox; and play
t was night and You was prowling
around the fields. Go oft now out there
by that stump"
Full of wonder and curiosity retired
TO the stump. Tom meantime turned
out the mass of nests and with it COM
pletely covered himself. The pile now
resembled an enormous mouse nest, or
rather a small hay-cock. Pretty soon
heard low, high-keyed, squeaking
noise, accompanied by a slight rustic in
side the nest. Evidently there were
mice in it; and feeling my character as
fox at stake | at once trotted forward,
then crept up, and as the rustling and
squeaking continued made pounce into
the grass-as l had heard it said that
foxes did when mousing. Instantly two
spry brown hands from out the nest
clutche,' me with q most vengeful grip.