The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-06-10

Ebuu AkiIE TOT A1GflSEAL SASAlNNA NtAEaEs
 harm to my neighboFs' hens. But it
 was aWfully hard to make up my mind
 to this. Twice I took him out with
 the intention of losing him, but when
 as sat on the ground, he would come up and thrust his wet blackberry of a nose into my hand or under the collar of my shirt. I would snap him up in
 my arms and carry him home again.
 lest by any chance I might lose him.
 But at last I made up my mind; took
 him miles away, to a point where game
 is plentiful and where hunters arc few.
 and | bade him good luck and gOod-by. | As I ran my fingers through his silky | brush for the last time, there sounded from a distant hill the clear yelp of a
 fox. "The Sprite'' heard it, and cooked his ears, and as I gave him parting slap, he seemed to pour himself through
 the long grass and bushes, and slipped away and went home, trying to
 make myself believe how glad I was that he was gone.
 Next night but one, was sitting
 alone in my study, when l heard the pattering of small feet on the piazza outside, and the next moment there was a scratching at the door. jump
 ed to my feet and swung the door wide open, and there in the lamplight sat little red fox His beautiful brush waved back and forth, and when I put out my hand and spoke to him, | thought he would go crazy with de- l light. He leaped at me with a pathet- ic little cry-something between sob and a whine--but he was smiling as only fox can smile. Then the other members of the household came troop ing in, and the little wanderer was given welcome which was worthy of him. After he had been fed he trotted upstairs and went to sleep OH my bed, where we left him, to get up when he chose. He slept, or, at any rate, rest ed for two hours, and then he came down and scratched at the door again and we let him out into the night. One 1 thing I made up my mind to that night, and that was that whatever happened woud never try to get rid of that fox again. So notified the neighbors that
 would be responsible for depredations
 of '"rhe Sprite," as long as my money held out, and requested them not to ! shoot him, They all agreed, and they stuck to their bargains, but they never allowed me to stick to mine, for though 1 ''The Sprite" helped himself whenever | he felt the need of refreshments, never a bill have been able to get.
 The next morning after his return,
 "The Sprite" was around bright and | r1x I,a al fhn day romping with a nine-months-old prairie wolf, paying no attention what | ever to the overtures of Jimmy" the | black bear cub, who was perhaps a trifle too slow for him. But along in the afternoon, the fox and the wolf had disagreement over something, | and a savage fight was the result. The wolf was the bigger of the two, and he had more formidable teeth. But '"The Sprite" had the more confidence and
 the greater courage, and he thrashed
 his big opponent roundly, cutting his face, and driving him away on the run. Next day the fox was chased by big dog, and either in accordance with his
 own wishes or otherwise, he was over
 taken. did not see the fight which | followed, but I am told by one who did
 that the dog found that he had caught
 8 Tartar got badly bitten for his pains, and was pleased to call it a
 draw" "The Sprite" was badly bit- ten, too, and that night his head swelIed until hardly knew him. But his tail was in the air, and when dressed his , wounds as he lay on my bed he smiled \ thrptfo1, h After his fight with the wolf, he | never had anything to do with any of the other animals about the place. In
 fact. soon after this he never came back to the house except at night,
 when he would announce his presence | by scratching at the door. One night, after an absence of forty-eigh hours, | he came in with his nose bristling with porcupine quills. I expected that he | would object very strenuously to hav- | ing them removed, and I wrapped him carefully in a quilt, in anticipation of a | struggle. But to my surprise slight suppuration had set in about each quill, l and the barbed shafts were as easy to withdraw as ordinary thorns. We should have been delighted to have had '"The Sprite' visit us thus, in- l definitely, but it was not to be. The last time we saw him was on New l Years Eve. We were toasting "The
 Friends That's Awa'," when there
 came pattering of feet. scratching | on the door, and as some one opened l it, ''The Sprite came in and circled the | table. When he came to my chair he stopped, looked up in my face and wagged his tail I arose and gave
 them 'The grandest little fox on l Earth" and we drank it standing ! Then, later in the evening, when he had eaten and slept, he went to the door as usual, and opened it and bade him Good night" As he crossed the piazza he turned once, smiled, and slowly wagged his tail, and the next instant he was gone.
 ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES