The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-28
A MERRY BEAST Is REWARD.
Alert, Full of Resources, Devil
May-Care Life Is the Fox's.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
How few people know what an interest
ing ing chap the fox is. said the naturalist
They know him only by reputation. and
that chicken thief. which he is. But he
has lots of points, l tell you. A merry, sly
dog is reynard. All summer ne lives in lux
ing by the pearly brooks, or basking in the
monday sun.
stream he waits till he spies a plump trout.
It's over in twinkling. A leap, snap,
and off he trots with his juicy morsel. ~
waters edge. Reynard drops his tail I'm
the water and tickles him with IT,. The an
cry crustacean comes out of his hiding
place and is seized and crushed. armor and
all When the ripening corn is ready TO
drop and the luscious fruits have reached
with ripening fui line ' then au Master Fox is
. In clover. Timid rabbits prick up their ears
and run, unconscious of danger. along the
hillside: the Guails skulk noiselessly in the
wheat stubble; birds pour forth their notes
OF praise-and he catches them ALL He
loves fruits. Stealthily stealing into orch
grapes. His cubs grow fat and saucy. He
shows them how to pilfer honey. and when
me busy bees have laid up winter store
he craws to the hives near the garden
renee and, jumping up 20 the small open
Ing, ticks the sweet drops with pure de-
honey-makers and settle like a pail on his
thick pelt; but he doubles up in a twink
llIlS anu, rolling over ana over, cruSneS
them by the score and eats them as
relish.
Cunning? No animal beats him. Look
at his brainy head. His delicate ears-broad
below to catch every sound from the high
est note of the shrill warbler to the low
grooming OF the cricket, or the distant
the prancing hounds, and tapering so sharp
ly to point that they can shape them
selves to every wave of air that makes the
calculation and foresight of the low, fat
brow. What nose. Now full of resolute
purpose pointing straight forward. and
and scorn. The eye, deep set, regular
robbers eye, lacking the soft beauty of the
tmid deer, or the. fascinating glare of the
cats, yet 1t trembles with modest humility.
or glares with murderous rage, flashing
fire and vengeance. Energy and self
control speak in the thin cynical lips, and
leap. crawl, run. and swim with the We
locity of lightning, and his wiry body is
carried SO So nois s, along that scarce
response even among the dead leaves of the
forest. His walk is treacherous, his glance
sinister. Selling a bunch of grain in his
mouth he Will swim into the midst of a
flock of ducks and seize the plumpest for
a dinner.
He will feign death like 'possum. and
even the hounds teeth and the flash of gun
powder have failed to arouse him. A farmer
surprised one in a hen roost Believing
that the fox was dead from over-eating
the farmer kicked the stiffened body on the
floor. picked it up by the tail, and flung it
out in the barn-yard. In jiffy the fox
gathered up his legs and escaped.
HE is voracious. is reynard When hun
ger pressed. and gaunt and lean from star
vation. he'll not refuse serpents and toads
and moles and rats. He has been known
TO attack and kill young calves and lambs,
and IL the seashore is near will revel in
oysters and shellfish. a group of rabbits
are feeding in a clover patch. He'll crawl
along. nibbling the juicy flowers until near
enough to make grab. He'll stalk a bird,
with his hind legs dragging behind him.
dread his inroads in the poultry yard. Fas-
ten the yard up tight and he'll burrow a
winding passage into the ground beneath
chickens and stupid geese. whose shrill
and alarmed cries arouse the farmer from
his bed to sally forth, finding all safe. Then
plumpest pullet the latest goose.
February is the month when reynard
goes awooing, and wide range he takes
chances in his way 1t is fully sixty days
before madame clears the rubbish all out
of her burrow and brings forth her young
from three to six at litter. 1t Will be
fully month before the sharp-nosed cubs
begin to play and gambol about the door
way of their home. Perhaps il will be al
rocks, or in the hollow OF dead tree
trunk, burrow with several entrances
IN the sand or loan. Tell-tale chicken bones
and feathers and fur Strewn about the en-
trance speak of many hen roost robbed
or of foolish rabbits and overconhdenl
grouse that have furnished food for the
fully feeds her young and boldly steals to
support them. She knows, as all sportsmer
know, that the hounds will not follow hel
"A merry, devil-may-care life does the
fox lead indeed! 1t may be a short one
Tor sIaRs a and the scent of hound is Keen
But reynard rollicks and ROSTERS. and plays
the bold freebooter amid 1t ALL.