Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12
ON A MORNING IN JUNE
SCENES THAT GREETED THE
STROLLER IN THE FIELDS.
A Vixen Carrying a Purloined Ply
mouth Rock Hen to Her Litter
of Young Foxes.
Written for The Star.


1t was June and 1 arose early in the
morning and went out for walk. The
sun had not yet risen, and the air was fresh
and cool upon my face. The grass was
dripping with dew, and before 1 had gone a
hundred yards my shoes were soaked and
the water was squirting through the laces,
as if l had been walking through brook
Many wild flowers there were on hand. OK
eye daisies being most In evidence.
l struck through the fields, and had gone
but short distance before l saw a clump
of tall ferns move suddenly, as If shaken by
something other than the wind. L stopped,
and moment later l saw a fox 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,
smoothly.
From the small size and light color, l felt
sure it was vixen, and in her mouth she
carried some large object-what il was, L
could not tell | gave aesharp whistle, and
at the same time raised my field glass The
little creature stopped instantly, with head
raised and ears acOCk-a taWny, craven
image-and 1 could see that what she car
ried was a Plymouth Rock hen, in whose
feathers her jaws were completely buried.
On the Trail of the Fox
Only for a moment she paused, and then
went on, as silent and more swiftly than
before. She reached a stone wall, ran light
ly along the top of 1t and then passed
from view on the opposite side. / waited
for a minute or more, and then | ran, with
head bent low and as quietly as l could to
the wall and peepel 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.
| followed this trail and 1t led me first
into a valley, along the bank of a brook, to
O. 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 ora wood, and then turned
into the wood itself following a deer path
through the spruce trees. Here 1t was by
no means so easy to follow, and l was
obliged to go very slowly guided by little
signs left now and then.
Once l saw just a small part of foot
print on a bit of wet mud; once damp
leaf had been moved on the pathway, leav-
ing a patch of white dust to show me its
former position, and twice l came upon a
soft barred feather, which had evidently
fallen from the hen. By such signs l pa
tiently picked my way, until l saw ahead
of me an opening across Whlch could pe
seen lodges of gray rock, with numerous
cracks and assures. Here, perhaps, L
should see something Of the fox SO very
cautiously l approached the edge or the
woodland and peered out toward the rocks,
enough, / caught glimpse of fur, but with
out waiting to see anything more | crept
quickly behind the boil of large tree,
whence l could look out with less danger
of being seen.
Young Foxes Devouring the Fowl.
Not a hundred yards away there was
shelving rock, with 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. Without doubt
they had torn it apart before l could reach
the scene, and l regretted that had miss
ed seeing the interesting little battles which
l was sure had taken place before the prey
dismembered-
A moment later, however. 1 was treated
TO a fight which quite took the edge off my
disappointment. One youngster had just
finished the part of the hen he had been
eating. and, after nosing about on the
ground a II 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 SEEM
ed to be the body of the fowl, and there
was trouble at once.
Fierce Fight Over the Breakfast.
"Yap-yap" went the cub in possession OF
the prize; 'Yap-yap, yap-yap-yap' and.
picking up the carcass in his teeth he
danced about, STAYING off his hungry broth
er with his headquarters The intruder was
not to be so easily disposed Of, however,
and continued to follow the matter up until
the other one dropped his dinner and pitch
ed right in to fight for 1t. And how those
two did fght!-sometimes rising up on their
hind legs and each endeavoring to get on
top, meanwhile growing and swapping like
q pair of bull terriers.
Finally the original possessor of the frag-
ment succeeded in driving his opponent
"a hnt when he looked about for his
possession, behold 1t had gone; another of
his enterprising brethren had taken advan-
tage of the confusion caused by the fight,
and had appropriated the coveted property
to his own good use The first owner at once
set off to hunt for this piece of chicken or
another one, and what the outcome would
have been I don't know, for the incident
was brought TO a sudden and unexpected
close.
Presence of On-Looker Detected.
AS 1 was watching the cubs 1 now
caught sight of the vixen, who had evil
IDENTIFY been lying somewhere behind the
sandheap which marked the mouth Of her
den. She arose to her full height, with her
nose pointed in my direction and her ears
cooked forward l was not aware that 1
had made the slightest sound but evidently
had. and now l even held my breath in the
hope that she would accept me part Of
the landscape, and lie down again. But
suddenly, from the wood behind me, came
loud, explosive snort, followed by
stratling crash and 1 turned in time to see
a deer dash away through the trees and
bushes, it's erect white tail rising and fall
| ing as it leaped over logs and rocks which
lay in it's path. When it had gone, 1
turned my head. but the foxes had disap-
peared, so / arose, and, after stretching
myself to take out the kinks, l started on
the trail of the deer.
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNES.
England's Curse.
From the Milan Secolo.