Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-04

her in the darkness.
And then all the plants and the tree,
/ held their breath while the family OF
young foxes one by one stole silently
out the hole up by the beech tree and
| sped away ont of the ravine. and
! toward the high rocky hill far away
where tradition told them that Grand
father Reynard had Il hole no dog could
get into. And all the time the mother
kept batting the dog so that he did not
see those escaping up the ravine. and
never suspected that they were gone
Then Mother REWARD herself slipped
back into the darkness and was soon
speeding away in the woods. The dog
smelling her near him no longer was
furious and tore up the ground. and
rolled over and ripped around the en-
trance furiously in his attempts TO g.
into the hole. And the shrubs all drew
down into their roots in terror ali save
the stately and understanding Horse
mint. she who had petted tho young
foxes all summer, and driven the YER
mir from their coats as they played
about the door of their house. She re-
manned there. and when in an angry
tit the dog threw himself upon her and
tore her withered skirts from the
ground, and chewed her up, and broke
her dry and brittle stalk to pieces she
Gid the foX-family one last kindness.
for she filled the angry dogs mouth
With the smell Of her leaves. so that he
could not tell fox track from bear
track. and had not chance of follow
ing them, if they once got away safely.
But Old Reynard was n natural
sportsman. He didn't at all mind {.
swift run il the crisp air. and vas
overJoyed at the opportunity to show
the dog clean pair of heels. Truth
was that when they were both pups,
the year or two before. the dog had
nearly overtaken the Young fox in a
race around the rocky hill yonder. and
revenge. He wanted to show the deg
that because a fox is an old chap it
doesn't follow that he is slow of foot.
So when the dog had spat out Of his
mouth the dirt and the munched
Forsemint, he saw little distance
away a fox that seemed 10 be drag
sing himself painfully over the ground.
with broken back. The dog ex-
claimed Now I have you. you old
rascal and made for him. but the
fox bounded suddenly away. scat
tering the dry leaves of the nai,.
the maple, the beech and the chest
nut. as he sped on. Then began a
chase that lasted all day long. and
from the quiet little valley the plants
could hear the baying of the tired but
Sullon dog as he followed round and
round the hill in the long afternoon,
chasing the fox. When Madam Rey-
nard thought that her husband was
getting tired she would dart out of the
rocks at Grandfather Reynard's safe
house. and go cutting across the nose
of the weary dog, and by acting as if
she was injured or wounded. would
make the dog think that she would be
al, easy catch. and away he would go
after her. while old Sir Reynard
would limp into the rocky retreat and
rest till he saw that his wife was get
ting weary. when he would relieve her.
In that way they tired out the dog. and
he began to go slower and slower, till
at last. as the sun. the Great Master,
sank behind the western hills, the dog
could hardly move along. and his bark
iiiS souuuCi NdI away llItu, 10 Tile
sleepy little plants in the forest dell
down by the brook. And all the after
noon the young foxes sat at the door
of Grandfather Reynard's hole, and
the old fellow who was very stiff and
feeble, came out and talked to them
about famous chases that he and |
their grandmother had made, when |
Papa and Mamma Fox were little |!
cubs like themselves, and called out |
the good points in the game that was
being played down the side HILL
Now he is nearing upon them" he |
would say as the banks became quick. |
short yelps, and then he would say: |
They are leaving him behind again, |
and he is running by scent
Or Grandpa Fox would break off in |
the middle of sentence about the fat |
cid Plymouth Rock hens Of Farmer So |
and So. to remark with his gray ear to .
the ground. Your mother has crossed
the scent. and your father will soon be /
mere All this was very exciting to /
the young people. and now and then /
the boys would boast to their sisters !
about how they would sometime run
the swiftest dogs till their legs fell off !
Eut when the dog came in sight [
around the foot of the hill and went |
across the opening by the /
meadow, it was the boys that drew !
back among the sheltering rocks first. /
They explained that they We're natu- !
rally more cautious than girls, but not |
one whit less brave on that account.
And at last at dark the two weary /
but victorious foxes came up the hill |
brook IL long distance. and climbed out |
on a fence and ran g mile on top Of it. /
and / guess if he finds the scent again |
he will do WELL" said Father Reynard /
as he threw himself down on the fiat /
rock at the door. And at last they |
knew by the stopping of the distant
barking that the dog had given it up
ana gone home.
And down in the little ravine the
moonlight was painting everything /