Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-01-20
THE HIGHLAND HILL-FOX,

An "Amusin' Little Cuss"-very Interests
ing, Hut Not to Be Depended On.
A writer, in desert bling the characters
istics of the hill-fox of the Highlands,
says that a bill-fox cub running about
h house makes an interesting and
amusing pet; for he is almost as play
full as a kitten, and always ready for
romp with any creature biped CT quad
ruped that will play with him.
When he approaches maturity, how
ever, and is nearly full grown, he must
be chained up, watchdogwise, for the
''old Adam is strong in him, and after
he is six months old, if allowed to
roam abo1t, he will assuredly begin to
kill your ducks and hens, and that, too,
no matter how well and regul arly you
feed him, in defiance of every punish
ment and all you can do to prevent
him. Even on the chain you can not
always be sure of him.
Some years ago, the writer says, we
used frequently to interview year-old
fox chained to a small wooden kennel
in the barnyard of a neigh boring farm,
and the way the rascal managed to Sc
cure an occasional fowl by way of
lunch was exceedingly clever and anus
ing. His principal meal for the day
consisted Of mixture of porridge and
milk, which was laid down within his
reach in ~ wooden bowl. OF this he
ate heartily; bat, Us the allowance was
always liberal, it was generally the
case that little was left over, and it
was with this remainder that the willy
rascal managed occasionally to entice
fowl within reach. His modus ope-
randi was as follows: When he had
taken fair quantity of porridge and
milk, he struck the edge of the bowl
smartly with his paw, SO that it was
overturned and the contents scattered
around. He then lay down, curling
himself dogwise, as if to sleep,
but always with his face toward
the split porridge, over which he
still continued to watch with half an
eye. even when he pretended to be
locked in profoundest slumber By
and by the fowls, attracted by the scat
tered bait, began to gather round, and,
although it was clear that their in
stinct warned them to be cautious in
venturing within reach of so treacher-
Gus customer, even in his sleep, it
occasionally happened that, sooner or
later, a stupid cockerel, or still stupider
duck, would venture to the near neigh
borhood of the overturned bowl, and
begin to eat thus giving the fox his
opportunity.
With single bound he had that duck
or cockerel by the neck and with a
second bound he was out of sight into
his kennel; and within a very short
time nothing of that unfortunate fowl
remained except the feathers and
few bones, and these the cunning ras-
cal always took care to hide away I'M
der the straw that formed his bed in
the darkest corner of his den. When,
at last, the good-wife of the farm be-
gan to miss her fowls and the trick was
discovered, the fox's chain was short
ened and his allowance of porridge
slightly diminished in the expectation
that he would now eat it all, and thus
be deprived of the wherewithal to en-
tice the poultry within reach. It was
no use, however. He still left over a
little porridge for bait; and, by follow
ing the same tactics as before, he con-
tinued to snap up an occasional fowl in
spite of every precaution. Although
great favorite with everybody about
the farm, such perseverance in evil
doing became at last intolerable, and
the fox was shot. It was not till then,
and when his kennel was being cleaned
out, that layer of feathers and bones
hidden away underneath the straw
bore witness to the extent of his depre-
dations -Rod and Gun.