The sun., 1908-01-19
BOXER SAW HIS DUTY
Even IL the She FOX That Killed the Turkey
Was His Friend.


HOLDEN, Me-, Jan. lS-@DO you see that
brown smOoch OF frozen blood under the
foOr Of the bay Window asked Walter
Nye. "It is all have TO show for poor
Nell and she was the most faithful beast
to follow fox have ever owned or ever
expect to own.
Il dug her from an old tomb at Holden
Centre a year ago last May, and after selling
all her bothers for 81 apiece 20 go to stock
a game preserve on Long Island l raised
her on a bottle and taught her to chase
foxes by letting her run out with Boxer
among the hills.
-She took to it naturally from the first.
One would think that a young fox would
have a tender feeling for her own kind, but
as soon a. Boxer had posted her as to what
was wanted Nell caught on and was furious
to corner and help in killing all Of her own
uncles And male cousins that she could find.
Last February when the wild foxes were
making love and the old dog foxes were
shining in their wedding suits Nell was
able to put nearly 500 OF good money in
my pocket through her treachery to mem-
bers Of her own family.
THE way she'd do it was enough to mnke
me believe that foxes have immortal souls.
In the morning before turning Boxer and
Nell out 70 hunt foxes I'd put close mu1zle
on Boxer 80 he couldn't zip without hurt
ing himself and let them go.
Boxer would strike a track up alongside
Of the stone walls where the foxes had been
nosing about for winter mice, and away they
would 60 across the drifts. Boxer with his
tail straight up and making four beats to
the second and Nell running at his side and
keeping her eye on him TO get the tip and 20
ahead. Sometimes il would he an hour
before Boxer got near enough to the wild
fox to send Nell out, but when the time was
right Nell would make a wide circle and
come in ahead OF the running fox and then
walk up looking innocent and afraid, as IL
she had been lost in the woods for a week
and was near tickled TO death 20 find brave
and faithful fox to show her the way back
And while Nell was prancing around
the new fox and asking him il her new furs
were not the prettiest and the most becom-
ing Of any he had ever seen Boxer would
drop out OF the game long enough 10 come
back and tell me about It and lead me
across lots TO the place where l could get a
good shot.
-The first real grief that ever cane to
Nell was last October when she followed
me down to the post Office one evening
when Boxer was locked in the barn. A
strange hound that didn't know Nell from
a wild fox pitched into her and whipped
her 40 badly that she started to run home
before could interfere.
He drove her under the barn and would
have killed her II Boxer hadn't heard her
whimper and jumped through the window
and saved her life by chewing UP the strange
dog. After this things went along much
az usual,
Now and then I'd harness up the horse
and take Boxer and Nell ont along the road
for q run, 50 they would not be too fat for
hunting when February came around
again. I reckon | oveTc,id the thing, and
kept Nell too hungry for her own good.
for one night she leaped out from where
she had been hiding under the hay window
and catching one Of my turkeys by the
neck went hack again quicker than a fash.
-Of course, Boxer couldn't stand for
this. and went in TO investigate, but when
he was arguing with Nell about the impro-
priety OF her act OF stealing turkeys from
the man who fed her and was advising
her to steal turkeys from one Of the neigh
bors whenever she was hungry Neil Raye
a growl and a yelp and few at Boxers
throat az II she would eat him up
There was no chance for making up
after this. Boxer as the night Watchnan
Of the home would stand no nonsense
from any source, and within one half minIite
from the time Nell showed fight, she was
as dead as she ever will be, and looking az
II ehe bad been through a threshinR ma
chine, while Boxer was wsgainE his tail and
expecting me 20 pat hinl on the head and
call him good dog