The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-01-31


A friend of mine had fox that he
mad raised from cubhood, and that
was as tame as dog, except that he
would run away If given the chance.
he was affectionate, and would per-
init his master to handle him like a
pet dog, in return for which he took
as great liberties with his master,
diving into all his pockets in search
OF an old black tobacco pipe. The
flavor of this seemed to have even
more charms for him than for the
smoker, for the fox, if he got hold Of
it, chewed it up with the greatest
avidty.
l once took part in the hunting of a
tame fox, but never think of it with
out shame. He had been reared in
close companionship with some of the
hounds, and was on terms Of perfect
intimacy with them.
He was turned out and given abo.t
half mile the start before the dogs
were set upon his track, two of them
being strangers to him. His unframed
muscles did not serve to carry him
very swiftly over the deep snow, and
when he recognized the voices of his
old comrades he made little attempt to
get away, but presently sat down and
waited for them to come up. When
the strange hounds reached him they
at once began to worry him, and his
OLD friends seemed disposed to join
them. Their changed, unfriendiy mien
quite took the heart out Of him; he
covered abjectly, and gave himself up
to the cruel death from which some
of us barely saved him by coming to
his rescue in the nick of time.
Two of my friends wounded fox,
which their hounds then chased into
hole in ledge. They set trap
inside and stopped up the entrance,
expecting that hunger would force the
animal to dig his way out, when he
might be easily caught.
Several days passed, however, and
they concluded that the captive must
have escaped through some passage
that they had not been able to dis
cover. They explored the ledge thor
oughly, and found a crevice not more
than two inches wide, which COM
municated with the interior Of the
den. In this crevice, where the i'm
prisoned fox could reach them with a
paw, two field-mice had been placed.
The next day the mice were gone.
They were soon replaced by others,
and then these disappeared. It was
evident that some of the free foxes
were aware of the situation of their
unfortunate brother, and were keeping
him supplied with food.
When a fox cannot be killed fairly
before he takes sanctuary In the bos-
ON Of the earth, it is decorous to re.
spect the sanctity of his retreat, In
this case it would have been the part
OF magnanimity to do so, but these
hunters were quite without sentiment
and desired the pelt of the animal
They cut off the channel of supplies
and in few days found the poor fel
low in the trap.
One cannot help feeling certain de-
gree of respect for the fox after hav.
ing observed his devices for settins
the hunters at fault, running through
focks of sheep or along dusty road.
and then making for a plowed field
He well knows the deodorizing quail
ties of dust and fresh earth.
His face is a study in self-absorbed
cunning as he picks his way cautiously
over the bare rocks of wind-blown
ledge. or along the top of fence; now
retracing his careful steps halfway
and now making long leap on one
side or the other.
The novice wastes his time if he sets
traps for the fox in earth, ashes, chat
or snow. The clever animal may come
near the trap, very likely will spring
it, but his toes will not be between the
jaws. He will eat the bait and departs
with poor opinion of trapper who
has tainted trap, covering and bal,
with telltale human scent.
The fox cares nothing for the scent
Of iron, for he crosses a railroad track
as fearlessly as he does fence or high.
way. But whatever man has touched
he fears and avoids while the scent re.
mains.
No one that has observed his habits
and knows what quantities of pestt.
ferrous field-mice he destroys can deny
his usefulness, and his grace and beau
ty are Joy to the lover Of nature.