Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-10
THE SPRITE DEPARTS
LAST CHAPTER IN HISTORY OF
THE RED FOX.
Given Its Freedom the Animal Return,
ed Many Times, but Finally Left
for Good.
Written for The Star.


The speaker was a rather loudly dressed
individual, who sat in a high-power touring
car by the side of New Hampshire coun-
try road. The remark was addressed to me,
as lay, leaning on my elbow on the shady
border of a spruce forest, and ii pertained
TO my handsome red fox, THE Sprite."
which stood just behind me. with his mug
zle thrust under my arm. watching the
speaker with an intense look of suspicion in
his yellow eyes. l looked down in his fine
little face, and said. with smile:
We'll. Cootsy. what do you say? VIII
you go with him?"
AT the sound of my voice the great white
tipped brush waved back and forth time
or two but he kept his eyes riveted on the
occupants of the touring car
Now. you know The Sprite." OF course.
everybody knows The Sprite"-the little
red fox whom 1 dug out of a burrow before
his eyes were open, brought up on milk adj
minstered with a medicine dropper, who
raided my good neighbors' hen-roosts who
was the companion of my walks whenever
l dared to have him loose and who more
than once appeared with me on the lecture
platform and tolerated the caresses he re-
ceived from the audience afterward.
Offered 800 for the Fox.
This was the animal for which wa. Of
lcTSu d COOL HunOTeO winch Will ADMIT
is very good figure for a fox. considering
that the market price is FIVE. Yet. some
how, 1 felt no citation. and. laughing said
to the would-be purchaser. II don't think
he wants to go with you; and. besides, your
price Is too low"
TOO lowf What do you meanf How
much do you want for bimT'
Then tried to explain to this man that
The, sprite S was ny friend; that he would
on him: that II he were confined in q
strange place no words could picture his
utter misery. and that his brave little heart
would pound itself almost to pieces until IL
was still forever. But 1 was wasting my
time for this man could not understand /
might as easily have convinced his touring
car He wanted to buy the fox. and. as he
had the money. why should he not do Il?
AT last got rather tired OF his persistence,
and told him plainly that II he were to sell
MS last shirt he wouldn't have money
enough 10 buy the tip Of the fox's brush.
I'm glad you didn't hear what he said. but
1 wish that you could have seen that autoA
mobile leap forward and shoot down the
road 1t startled The Sprite' SO that he
Jumped into the woods and refused to come
out until the buzz of the machine had died
away. ~
Hard to Give Up "The Sprite."
For months 1 had planned to give .The
Sprite' his liberty He was so destructive
10 poultry that / was obliged to keep him
Gagged most OF the time, but thought that
IL carried him some miles away from n
dwelling and turned him loose he would get
good living for himself without doing
harm to my neighbors' hens But il was
aWfully hard to make up my mind 10 this
twice TOOK him out with the intention of
losing him, but when as / sat ON the
ground ne would come up and thrust his
wet blackberry of nose into my hand or
under the collar of my shirt I would
md
nome again, lest by any chance | might lose
him.
But at last / made up my mind. / took
MN miles away, to a point where game is
plentiful and where hunters are few and I
bade him good luck and goodbye AS
ran my fingers through his silky brush for
IN, me iast time there sounded from distant
mn the clear yelp of a fox. The Sprite"
heard it and cooked his ears and as | gave
him parting slap he seemed to pour him
self through the long grass and bushes. and
sllpped away and went home trying to
make myself believe how glad 1 was that
he was gone.
Little Red Fox Returned.
l. Next night but one, l was sitting alone
In my study. when 1 heard the pattering
of small feet on the piazza outside and tho
next moment there was a scratching at the
door. l jumped 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 / put out
my hand and spoke to him, l thought he
would go crazy with delight. He leaped
at me with pathetic little cry-something
between sob and whine-but he was
smiling only fox can smile. Then the
other members of the household came
trcop!ng 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 on my bed, where We
left him, to get up when he chose. He
"A tod ru-A hon
and then he came down and scratched at
the door again and we let him out into the
night.
One thing 1 made up my mind to that
night, and that was that whatever happen
ed l would never try to get rid of that fox
again. So l notified the neighbors that L
would be responsible for depredations OF
THE Sprite,'' as long as my money held
out, and requested them not to shoot him.
They all agreed. and they stuck to their
bargain, but they never allowed me to
stick to mine for though The Sprite'
helped himself whenever he felt the need
Of refreshments, never a bill have 1 been
able to get.
Whipped the Big Wolf Cub.
The next morning after his return The
Sprite" was around bright and early and
he spent almost the entire day romping
with nine months-old prairie wolf. pay
ing no attention whatever to the overtures
of Jimmy the black bear cub, who was
perhaps a trif1e too slow for him. But
along in the afternoon the fox and the
wolf had a disagreement over something.
and savage fight was the result. The
wolf was the bigger of the two and he
had more formidable teeth. But The
Sprite" had more confidence and 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 a big
dog and either in accordance with his own
wishes or otherwise, he was overtaken.
did not the fight which followed, but
am told by one who did that the dog found
that he had caught Tartar got badly
bitten for his pains, and was pleased to call
1t draw. THE Sprite' was badly bitten,
too. and that night his head swelled until
l hardly knew him. But his tail was in the
air, and when 1 dressed his wounds as he
lay on my bed he smiled through his swoi-
len features
Came Back to House Only at Night.
After his fight with the wolf he never had
anything to do with any of the other ami
mails about the place. In fact. soon after
this he never came back to the house