The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-11-16

and we went home, the maddest lot of
hunters that ever lost fox. But we
went out the next day and the next
day, and tried to run that fox down.
Exactly the same experience followed.
1 wanted the party to go out another
day, but they all declared that they
didn't intend to wear out their horses
and dogs chasing spook fox around
the country; so took my dogs and
went out alone. I started the fox as
usual. The hollow tree episode fol-
lowed. Then the act at the ditch; later
the feat with the brush pile. I had
made up my mind that at the tangled
willows would solve the problem, and
for that purpose had taken my revolt
yer along. When the fox emerged from
the willows intended to end the chase
right there by putting ball through
| him. From the brush pile the fox led
| us to the willows, as usual. AS he
| lolled toward them I noted for the first
| time that at the root Of his tail patch
| Of his fur had been rubbed off in some
| way, leaving a spot nearly bare cou-
pie Of inches across. The fox entered
| the thick willows, and I was about to
send bullet through him when he
| came out again. Out he came, and ]
was about to shoot him when I noticed
that he didn't have any bare spot at the
root Of his tail. Then, for the first time
a dark suspicion seized upon me. ]
| didn't shoot, but let the fox go on. with
| the dogs after him. I dismounted, tied
my horse, and took Immediate meas
ures to to see if my suspicious were
correct. / kicked and pounded against
| those willows, and presently out crept
a fox. He was tired and he had bare
spot at the root Of his tail!
| "'Aha! said I. I thought SOL
"The tired fox tried to get away, but
I emptied my revolver into him and he
didn't so. I sat down and pondered fol
a long time, and by and by heard my
dogs in the distance, heading for the
copse. I worked my way into the will.
lows and crouched down. I hadn't beer
there long when the dogs drew near the
spot in full cry. Into the tangle came 6
fox, tired and painting. But it was
plain that he had expected to fint
something there that wasn't there, ant
the establishment on his face was some
thing we'll worth seeing. But before
the fox had time to make any plans
necked him and dragged him out fol
the dogs to settle with, and they did II
in short order. Convinced now thai
my suspicious were more than correct
rode on to the hollow tree trunk
stationed the dogs at the hole at one
end and rammed a long stick in at the
other end Pop! went fox, RICH
among the dogs, and in less than fifteei
seconds had another brush to hang a
my saddle. Then we went on to thu
ditch with the overhanging bank. MY
dogs seemed to have got an inkling O.
the situation themselves by this time
and when we got to the ditch, pell-mel
they went into it. From beneath the
overhanging bank they dragged anoth
err fox, and perhaps they didn't take {
little recompense out of his hide. The
1 brush pile yielded us a fifth fox, ant
with the five trophies I went home.
1.-THE fox had played it on us by hav
ing a fresh one stationed every fiv'
miles on the course, to take the place
OF the tired one, and I'll bet there ism
another place outside of Virginia wher
foxes grow smart enough to think of ;
scheme like that."-New York Sun.