The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-12
A WALK IN sUMMER-PART I,

It was June, and I arose early in the morning and went out for a call The sun had not yet risen, and the air was fresh and cool upon my face. The grass was dripping with dew, and before had gone a hundred yards ~'v shoes were soaked, and the water was squirting through the laces, as if had been walking through a brook. Many Wild flowers there We're on n1aIl., o..~.... daisies being most in evidence. I struck through the fields and had gone but a short distance before I saw clump of tall ferns move suddenly, as if shaken by something other than the wind. stopped and moment later I saw a fox, or at least the head and back of one, moving steadily through the grass There was no hitch or pause in that Wondrous gait; the grass, the ferns and the daisies simply parted, and the fox passed through them, swiftly, smooth ly From the small size and light col- or, l felt sure it was a vixen, and in her mouth she carried some large ob- ject-what it was I could not tell. I gave sharp whistle, and at the same time raised my field glass. The little creature stopped instantly, with head raised and ears acock-a tawny, gray en image-and I could see that what she carried was a Plymouth Rock hen. in whose feathers her jaws were com pletely buried.
 Only for a moment she paused, and then went on, as silent and more swift ly than before. She reached a stone wall ran lightly along the top of it, and then passed from view on the op- posite side. I waited for a minute or more, and then I ran, with head bent low, and as quietly as l could, to the walls, and peeped cautiously over it. The fox was not in sight, but her trail was plain enough a darkish line through the wet grass and ferns, where she had brushed away the dewy bloom. I followed this trail, and it led me first into valley, along the bank of brook to point where the fox had crossed on some stepping-stones, which showed the wet prints of her feet. Thence the trail ran along the border of a wood, and then turned into the wood itself, following a deer path through the spruce trees. Here it was by no means so easy to follow, and I was obliged to go very slowly, guided by little signs left now and then. Once saw just a small part of a footprint on a bit of wet mud; once a damp leaf had been moved on the pathway, leaving a patch of white dust to show me it's former position, and twice I came upon a soft barred feather, which had evidently fallen from the hen. By such signs patiently picked my way, until I saw ahead of me an opening, across which could be seen lodges of gray rock, with numerous cracks and Assures. Here, perhaps, I should see something of the fox, so very cautiously I approached the edge of the woodland, and peered out toward the rocks, now well lighted by the rising sun. Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of fur, but without waiting to see anything more I crept quickly behind the boil of large tree whence I could look out with less danger of being seen. Not a hundred yards away there was a shelving rock with a large heap of sand in front of it, and around the base of this little mound, a number of young foxes were busily engaged in devouring different parts of a Plymouth Rock fowl, With out a doubt, they had torn it apart be- fore I could reach the scene, and I regretted that I had missed seeing the interesting little battles which I was sure had taken place before the prey was dismembered. A moment later, however, I was treated to a fight which too the edge off my dis appointment. One youngster had just finished the part of the hen he had been eating, and, after nosing about on the ground as if to be sure he had not missed any of it, he raised his head and licked his little jaws, to which several feathers were still adhering. Then he ran toward one of his brethren who was busy with what seemed to be the body of the fowl. and there was trouble at once,
 "Yap-yap" went the cub in possess sion of the prize; 'Yap-yap, yap-yap-