West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-03-09

about $3.50 He drew pictures
of foxes on his slate at school. One
day he drew a picture of a boy
dragging dead fox over the snow
by string tied around his neck.
That evening he felt that the crisis
was coming, He went, without a
moments delay, from the school
house to the Clover barn." and ex-
amined the tracks for the hun
dredth time.
Now, just little distance west of
the barn, there stood large oak-tree
which had a hole on its south side,
near the ground, about large enough
to receive mans fist On the east
side-that is, the side next the
barn--a little higher than Sans
head, was a large hole that had
been cut at some time for the pur-
pose of getting out a woodchuck.
Sam happened to look toward this
tree and there, in the big hole on
the east side, he saw fox
There could be no possible doubt
about it. Such eyes as Sans
couldn't deceive a boy who was on
the hunt for fox. Nothing could
be palmer than that it was fox's
head. The ears stuck up exactly
like fox's ears, and the body, of
course, was back in the hallow of
the tree. 20, you cunning rascal p
said Sam; don't l wished l had a
gun!"
With this he raised the pitchfork
to his shoulder, and sighted along
the handle, initiating what he
would do if he only had gun.
When he thought the aim was
good he shouted "bang!' imagining
it to be the discharge of the gun.
At this sound the fox took fright
and lodged back into the hollow of
the tree. Then Sam ran, in breath
less anxiety, and stopped up both
holes to make his prisoner secure.
Next he ran home, palpitating at
every step, to get the old dog Pipe,
and the axe. He was not a practic-
ed chopper, but he felt now that he
could easily make a hole in one of
| the giant trees of California to get
d fox.
He would have entered into a
CONTRACT to deliver the skin of that
fox the next morning, or within
two hours, for that matter; and he
was determined that nobody should
know a word about it till he threw
down his captive dead before the
wondering eyes of the whole fami-
ly.
So he slipped quietly into the
woodshed, picked up the axe and
spoke to Pipe in whisper Then
he put little piece Of rope in his
pocket to tie around the fox's neck
so that he could drag him home on
the snow, as he had planned it in
the picture on the slate, and back
he fastened to the tree and prepar-
ed for big triumph.
Now" thought he, off | only cut
that lower hole little larger | can
put stick up the hollow Of the tree
and punch the fellow out at the big
hole, and then Tve got him. Watch
him now, Pipe, watch himp' and
then he began to chop.
No soldier ever pounded more
earnestly at the gate of walled
city, or with a more ambitious
heart-throb. He wondered if all
oak-trees were so hard to chop.
At last, just as the sky began to
grow dusky with the approach Of
night, he had made the hole large
enough. He took the stick in his
hand and said "Now, catch him,
Pipe, catch him " and then he
thrust it up the hollow of the tree.
In an instant out came the fox in a
great furry and hustle, and sailed
away over the meadow Pipe made
the best speed he could after it,
plunging through drifts Of snow
that almost covered him out of
sight; but a heavy old farm-dog is
a poor reliance in fox-chase, es-
pecially if the fox flies, as this one
did,
For this to1 1Cd8 an oWI!
Sam looked after in blank amaze
ment as it sailed away with the
most provoking ease. 1t seemed to
him almost incredible that he