St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-03-29
Selected Story.
THE WHITE FOX.

l spent the autumn of 1881 in a
clergyman's family at Orley, a vii
lage in northern New York not far
from the St. Lawrence river. Con-
hnement over my books had so told
on my health that the doctor
ordered me to stop studying and tor
several weeks at least to lead life
of outdoor exercise. l unpacked my
breech-loader, and in a weeks time
knew every haunt of grouse, hare
and squirrel within walking distance.
My companion in these rambles
was the son OF a neighboring farmer,
a lad about my own age, who knew
the country thoroughly and was,
moreover, a keen sportsman. One
afternoon early in November he
came to the house where l was stay
ing, evidently in a state of great
excitement.
whats happened, Jim ?" asked,
as I let him in. Have you found
another flock of grouse? or has your
father bought that new gun for
your"
NO such luck as the gum said
Jim, but something much better
than a flock of grouse. DID l ever
tell you about the white fox ?"
NO" said 1.
well, the reason | never did"
continued Jim, was because didn't
take any stock in it myself For
several years now stories have been
told of a pure white fox that was
seen in this neighborhood. But as
the animal was never seen by any
one but Canadian lumbermen and
people of that sort, who are always
seeing ex Extraordinary things, no one
paid much attention to the matter.
But now | know that the stories
were true.
This morning, after it stopped
showing, l went out to bring back
the brood of turkeys that have been
running in our back meadow lot. 1
tracked them in the light snow to
the edge of the big cedar swamp. AS
reached the point where the tracks
led into the bushes some of the
turkeys came flying into the
meadow, and l heard great COM
motion in the swamp.
The turkeys kept running into
the open. Last of all came the old
gobbler. Holding onto his wing
was the oldest animal l ever saw.
1t was a fox as white as the snow
that lay on the ground. He had
pulled out a good share of the
turkeys feathers, but the old bird
was too strong for him to hold.
1.-The fox was so busy trying to
stop the turkey that he came some
L r
saw me. Then he let go his hold,
quick metre, and darted into the
bushes. If 1 had had a gun could
have shot him easily.
The inch or two of snow that fell
last night is just the thing for
hunting. l have borrowed two
good hounds, and want you to come
out with me tomorrow morning.
Such a fox is worth working for"
AS can be imagined, 1 was glad
enough to accept Jim's proposal. 1
reached nay friends house before sun
rise next day and we at once start
ed to tramp to the cedar swamp
where he had seen the fox.
One of the hounds Jim had borrow
ed was an old fox-hunter, known
a most powerful nose;;" that is, he
could follow a faint scent. Jim
thought this dog would be able to
find the track made by the fox the
day before and finally start him.
Meanwhile he and l would station
ourselves in a small valley to the
north of the swamp. He reasoned
that if the fox was still in the
swamp he would be most likely to
leave it by this valley.
We soon found the track, and the
old dog went slowly off upon it, af-
ter first satisfying himself by many
anxious shifts that there really was
a faint in the pure snow.
The other dog seemed to have
perfect faith in the ability of his
senior to find the game, and con-
tentedly trotted after him.
Jim and l now made all haste to
reach our stations. They were fully
a mile away, and the rapid pace set
by my companion was fast wind
ing" me, when we heard loud
burst of music from the two hounds.
They must have started the fox, or
at least fox. AS Jim left me at my
station he said:
''If it is a red fox and we don't kill
it, at least try to take the dogs Off
it's track. What we want today is
the white fox"
Jim took up his station about
forty rods away from me across the
ravine, and we waited expectantly.
For some time the dogs circled
about in the swamp; then they
sounded as if drawing nearer.
saw Jim crouch down and examine
the caps of his muzzle-loader. kept
perfectly quiet, listening eagerly to
the musical baying of the hounds,
who were evidently coming directly
toward US.
At last, at a point perhaps a