The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-24
The Fox's Stratagems.

In N-rihRsr'S Magazine for January,
Il. T.. Robinson has an article on Fox
Hunting in New England from which
We make the following extract hut
think not thus early nor with such sue
c,'ssful issue is every chase 10 close.
This was ended before the fox hal used
any other trick for battling the hounds,
hat his simplest one Of running IN CIR
cles. An hour or two later an old tox
finding the dogs still holding persistent
IN 20 all the windings of his trll, would
have sped away to another hill vr woud
mile ar SO on, and would have crossed
newly p'owed fields, the fresh earth
leaving no tell-tale scent would have
taken ~ travelled highways, where dust
and the hoOis of horses and the foot
steps Of men combine u oblterate the
traces OF his passage or have tr1d gan
gerly along many lengths Of the top
rails Of fence and then have sprung OF
at right angles with it 20 the ground,
ten feet away and then, perhaps, have
run through flock of sheep, the strong
oior Of whose feet blots out the scent ni
his. These articles quite bewlldrr and
baffe the young dog, but only delay the
elder who knows of old the tricks oi
foxes. Nothing can be more admirable
than the manner Of his working. as he
comes 70 the edge of the plowrd field.
He wastes no ;Ime IN useless pottcrlng
among the fresh-turuei burrows, bat
with rapid lopes skirts their swaried
border, till. at a far corner, hls speed
slackens as his keen nose catches the
scent again in the damp grass (; he snutfs
at il an instant 70 assRre himself. then
sounds loud, melodiuus note. and goes
on baying az every lope tlll the road Is
reached. Along this he zigzags till he
finds where the fox has left 1t. And
now comes the puzzling bit Of fence.
The old dog thinks the fox has gone
through il he goes through Il himself,
but finds NO scent there puzzles about
rapidly, now trying this side, now that
at last he bethiuks himself Oi the top,
10 which he chambers and there finds the
missing trail. But his hig feet cannot
tread the "gidiy footing Of the rail
as could Reynard's dainty pads, so down
he goes and tries on either side for the
point where the fox left the fence.
Ranging up and down, too nesr Il, ~
hit the spot where Reyuard struck the
ground he fails 20 recover the scent,
stops-raises his nose and utters long
mournful howl, half vexArOn. half d,
spair. Now he climbs 30 the top rail
further ON and snuifs it there. " No
taint Of fox's foot is here. 40 he RIA
sons, "and he must have jumped from
the fence between here and the place
where | found ii, ," and acting on this
logical conclusion, he circles widely al!
he has picked up the trail once more,
and goes merrily on 10 the sheep-pasture.
Here, satisfying himself Of the character
of this tTlck, he adopts the same plan
employed at the plowed field, and after
a little. finis the trail on the other side
and follows 1t 70 the hill, but more
SLOWLY nov, for the fox has been gone
some time the frost has melted, the
moisture is exhaling and The scent grow
ing cold. The fox has long since reached
the hill aud half encircled IL. and now
hearing the voices Of the hounds so far
away and 70 slowly nearing, has bestowed
himself on the messy cushion OF knoll
for rest and cogitation. Here he lies
for a half hour or more, hut always alert
and listening while the dogs draw slowly
on, now almost losing the trail On a dry
ledge, now catching Il IN q moist, propl-
tious hollow, till at last nearer bnrst
warns poor sly boots that he must again
up and away. ......