The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-25
BY ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs.

@EADERS of this series may, per-
I'D / haps. remember The Sprite, one
~ Of the three little fox cubs which
0 / dug out of burrOw last April
49, while they were yet blind and
woolIy. The sprite is still guest OF mine'
and. although he has long since lost all ap-
pearance of a puppy. at heart he Is as young
and rnischievous ever
For long time the young fox had the run
of the house. but there finally came time
when, IN the interests of humanity, we de-
cided that one roof must no longer cover us
all. In fact, IL The Sprite'' had stayed an
other week. IL is question whether there
would have been roof for any of US Then
the neighbors, gOOd.natured as they WERE
had got into the habit OF counting their
chickens every night before retiring, and all
that were not present" at tattoo were
accounted for in just one way. So we
built a large cage Of wire and wood, ont in
the garden. and into il we put THE Sprite,
with a pretty little yellOw-haired vixen TO
keep him company And they were very
happy there together playing by the hour.
IeapIng over each others backs or standing
on their hind legs to box each other with
their fore paws. At first the vixen was very
wild but her mate showed such delight
whenever any Of US went near the cage,
that in time she too lost all fear, and fed
from our hands.
Among the many TO whom the young
foxes were objects OF interest were some
hens which used 10 stray into the garden
and stare rudely through the netting. The
vixen. like the little lady that she was. paid
no attention to these vulgar fowls, but THE
rff 1fo fed ha pa1rIf
frequently sought to wipe out. only to be re-
minded that he could not jump clean
through thick wire netting. So he gave it
up and bided his time. The hens became
holder and holder, and strutted back and
forth. close beside the cage. twisting their
sauey necks that they might see the better.
One morning the boldest OF these fowls was
walking past, and 1.-The Sprite'' was no.
where to be seen. II may have been. ire
sistible curiosity which prompted fhe hen to
find out just where he was. but. my rate,
in that evil hour she thrust her head
through the netting. 1t never came out
again. There was fash OF red, and the
fox was wiping out all insults. The good lit
tie Jaws came together with ''click," the
black front legs Strengthened out like ram
rods, and had the hens neck been made Of
wire cable he would have had the whole Of
her As IL was, he twisted of the head like
fash and tossed it into the air as one
might toss ball.
That bit of revenge, sweet as 1t was. but
gave him an appetite for what was to follow
some weeks later. / am in the habit OF TAX
ing him for a walk, and out of respect for
my neighbors' poultry 1 take him chain.
On the morning of Labor day 1 opened the
cage door, as usual. with his collar in my
hand. but before could put it on. he slipped
past me and out into the garden. AS though
he had been planning 1t for a week. he ran
directly for my nearest neighbours hen-yard,
with his fond owner in his wake. doing the
best bit of sprinting he has done for some
years II was no use; 1.-The 6prite" knew
his advantage, and even turned to laugh in
my face. In another moment he was over a
wall. and in the middle Of covey Of WE'LL