The Forrest City times., 1904-10-21
HUN TING REWARD
INTERESTING SKETCH OF TRIALS
 AND DANGERS OF MIR. FOX.
New Hampshire Farmers Use Gun and Hounds Against Him, But the Naturalist Finds Him an
 Interesting Study.

In the vicinity of my home in New Hampshire. foxes are among the com monest of the wild animals. No one even hopes for their total extermina- don-the possibility of such thing is loo remote even to excite a hope For my part, l am pleased that they are here. for l see them often. and am seldom too busy to watch a fox Some times they may be seen crossing the road al dusk, just moving shadows in the uncertain light but more often I get glimpse of one in broad daylight, while he is busy catching grasshop- perS in some field
 My neighbors do not seem to enjoy seeing fox quite so much as 1 do. They usually get their glimpses of him at night, after being awakened by the squawking of the hens, and often enough they see him leave the prem ises with one of their choicest broilers in his jaws
 The other day. neighbor of mine declared his intention of going fox hunting on the following morning. and invited me to go with him accepted the invitation. and next day met hin in his yard at daylight He had d gun ! himself, and offered to loan me one but l declined with thanks. as | d. not keep chickens. and therefore have no personal quarrel with the foxes Behind the barn. four foxhounds were chained and We went round to ioose them.
 We were scarcely out of the yard when the two old dogs struck out in to the wet fields with noses to the ground. and We could see only their backs and tails. as they shot iron place to place through the grass. Pres ently We entered I piece of woodland and in less than ten minutes We heard the deep 'yow-yow" of one of the old hounds as he s'ruek the trail of | foN My companion now slipped the young ! dogs, and soon the little pack Was iu full cry, and tearing along in single | file through the forest and over tht mountain side. theIr musical voice echOing among the hills for miles A foX, cunning as he is, has certain habits which frequently favor the hun ter. For instance, whe. running be fore the hounds he often has regular route. perhaps some miles III lengih over which he leads the dogs over an ov.r again The hunter. seeing the dtgs go by the first time, hot on Re- hard trail. can secrete himself neal the path, knowing that there is q fai' chance of getuns the fox on his next round. To De sure. the crafty little creature is apt 10 vary his course mure or less, but the experienced foN-hnntet knows that there are certain point. along the trail which are more Hkel7 to be visited than others, and of cours, he chooses one of these points for hi- stand This is just what my com panlon did We saw the dogs go past below ridge of high ground which overlooked valley, and presently We ~ere crouchins behind the stump oi a tree. Waiting for the coming of the fox some 2n yards below us. a rocI, Jatied ataf the hillside and my neI-htar assured me taat there- -Waz eFeIE probability that the enemy WoH.4 come n that rock He had ai= ready shot thrse foxes there from Ms present hiains place The voices ot the hounds sounded fainter and faIn5- CT aud finally died away in tho dis tance. and tae man With the gun sad that T. Mizht he @p minutes before We heard tham Bs2ln Al last ~r aeair heard the hasins of ths hounds. wMcA had been almost round the hj#. and which We're how approaching us aa fast thes eoud travel | looked lu the direction of the sound and far away. in the field tf Heht-culored. suu. burnt grass l caught glimpse of red. II was a fox. IL disappeared ana then 1 saw II again coming straight in our direction In Its path there was d large ftee-stump. and upon tn $ it ioared sal down and looked straight in our direction I feJt sure il did nns see us for neither of us had moved a ItN'Hti', anu q ipA. ilht many tl lft wild animals. is comparatively indf fercnt to motlonless objects T. did not seem the least uneasy. though il must have heard the dogs plainly enmeh Al last it turned lts head towards them. fer an instant and in that instant my companion brought his san 10 his shoulder The little ami nal va9 loo far away f0r bim ta risz ~h1t a' F. tVt f would he rearef Hfas atfe ' sliHHe3 down from the stam1 ard pasSe3 along under the h9- mil | reaefe5 the r9rE Hp0u whi r eaEel t1 loa5 hack In tte dine, ion e th1 For one instant t stood brjebt-eyed a'Hat and bcaa fgl tbeE came aHa b1n. an3 H tHmb'a down fhe t5Hs.te haire. 10 rest a. last ag1jusf tUft 0f ea'denrad a hnI and raaeei mass of fnr
 ERNEST Y Nfslf D HAYNES