Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-06-04
SLY REYNARO.


Stories Of the Cunning OF Foxes when
Pursued by Men and Hounds.
In hunting annals there are to be
found many amusing tales of the fox,
whose short life usually ends in the
glory of the chase Southey tells of
a tame fox hrou .yht nv from habyhood
to run in a kitchen wheel as turnspit
One day he ran away, but unfortun-
ately it was in hunting season and he
was tracked by the dogs. He led the
pack and the horsemen chase of
thirty miles, taking them twice
through the same stream after making
n long detour and fna' ly made his way
back with the hounds after him in full
cry, dashed into the kitchen and into
his wheel, where he resumed opera
tions unconcernedly, the cook keeping
off the dogs till the huntsmen came up
aud learned the kind of game they hal
been chasing.
Hunted foxes often hide in curious
places. One day an English master
of the hunt returned home after a long
and exciting chase, the game having
suddenly disappeared near his home.
Wet ald cross he went to his room to
dress and discovered mysterious
iumpiness under the bed cover that he
could not account for. Turning down
the spread he found the fox, which
hal hidden there. 1t was finally
elected from the house.
Foxes have a habit of dashing into
some humble cottager's home and
creating havoc amid the furniture aud
dishes before the dogs enter and finish
them on the spot Once fox ran down
the chimney, flying into the lap of the
Mortified old woman, who sat before
the fire. There are instances of foxes
hiding in bakers ovens
Once farmer hal pig which he
was fattening for market. The animal
hal reached the point of perfection
where his eyes would scarcely open
and he could not walk for his weight,
and he was startled one day by the
patter of feet on his back and there
was a fox at his side. In an instant
the patter was intensified forty-fold
aud the dogs tore in after the fox.
The shock was too much for the
porker, which died of apopleXy aud the
hunt had to recompense the farmer.
Foxes often double cleverly on their
trails. One fox led the hounds over
clipped hedge and waitel on the other
side till the dogs had passed him, then
jumped up on the hedge and leisurely
trotted away on top of it, escaping
detection save by foot-passenger,
who, of course, could not stop him.
Another clever fox made straight for a
river with rocky bank and on the
edge made his way down under the
rock to a very narrow foothold where
he lay and enjoyed fine view of his
pursuers, who gave fine exhibition
of diving. From the opposite side
the pursuers saw Reynard trot COM
fortably off home, safe. Another fox
made for the edge of quarry where
there was an overhanging tree in which
he disappeared, but the dogs, unable
to control their speed, dashed over
the ledge and were killed
Foxes have holes and the birds of
the air have nests, is well known but
it is not so well known that fox once
sought refuge in a birds nest In
1887, in Cheviot, when the Border
pack was running dows a fox it ran
into rocky glen with no outlet and
al easy kill was expected. The
hounds were found, however sitting
in astonishment watching a rocky cliff
opposite and on the face of this cliff
was a ravens nest, in which the fox
lay tangled, having reached its pre-
carious resting place by a narrow
ledge scarcely big enough for cat.
In an old sporting magazine, dating
from the '40's, is recorded a wonder
full run of stanch pack with grand
fox and followed by the keenest sports
men. Away they went, here and
there, straight, zigzag, double and
circumbendibus- are tried every
imaginable hiding-place is made for,
only to be Immediately abandoned
every tactic that Reynard's sagacity
and cunning can suggest is brought
into execution, but without avail, till
after record of three hours and
twenty minutes, utterly dead beat, the
gallant Reynard sinks down on an
open place and when the huntsmen
reach the spot, YEARLY, leading their
tired-out horses, they find the hounds
lying around their prey in such an ex-
hausted condition as TO be utterly
unable to worry him.