The San Mateo item. (San Mateo City, Putnam County, Fla) 189?-19??, 1909-11-13


brush!" some one shouted. and the pa
thetic whining cry that rang out
through the woodland made Uncle
Ieke VINO, very much out OF breadth
had come up, declare that he wished
he had never complained but had LEI
the poor mother 20 into the chicken
yard and help herself, unmolested
I'm sorry for her, blamed if / amt
What can we do to end this racket,
kill her, set her free, OF what?"
Please be quiet a minute" whis-
pered Dick There comes her young
ones through the shadows. Can't you
see them?"
ITO be sure" cried John Henry,
making sudden dive, land I've got
one OF them"
Boy-like they all rushed to see the
bright eyes and pointed nose protrud-
ing from the breast OF John Henrys
thin jacket
He's a lively one to hold, and don't
you forget IT,, cried the lad. Il don't
want to lose him and I'm going
home"
I'VE might all rs we'll CO." said
Uncle Zeke. Here's the trap and
here's that blamed thiefs foot, poor
thing. Guess she must think she's
paying pretty nigh price for chicken
meat"
she will when she counts her ba-
bies," chuckled John Henry Wen
tether this fellow with trace-chain
under the old butternut tree back OF
the barn and we shan't have TO worry
about the chickens any more this year
for neither fox nor a hawk will come
near"
The baby fox, named by the boys
Trapsy, soon became neighborhood
attraction, and helped to keep things
lively He set the example, keeping
continually busy and seeming hardly
to realize that he was a prisoner at
the end of a long, lightweight chain.
With John Henry's fox TERROR pup
by Junket he would frolic for hours
until the puppy, growing the faster
and being the heavier, would tire his
playfellow out.
At such times Trapsy would retire
into the hole he had dug for himself
near the trunk OF the big butternut
tree, but II John Henry strolled along
and whistled to Junket he would peer
out with a peculiar expression in his
shrewd little eyes that the observant
lad attributed to envy for the dog that
had his liberty.
"Trapsy must be pretty nearly full
grown now" said John Henry one
day along toward autumn. "He knows
me just as well as Junket does. He
appreciates that have brought him
up. He knows this is his home and |
II let loose would stay about with the
dogs and kittens / have no doubt"
Stay around? Not much he would
MT" said Uncle Zeke emphatically. |
Should he slip that chain you'd find
he'd make pretty short business of
saying goodbye to civilization. A fox
amt dog No. not much he amt II
he was free he would show you pretty
quick what fox would do"
Hes showing us now, right along
what a fox can do" laughed Aunt
Sarah, Hiding everything he can get
hold OF in that hole he has dug. We
shan't have butternut He has car
RED every one into his storehouse al.
though what he wants OF them ! have
no idea. He is always doing some
hing, barking, running In circle at
he end OF mis- chain until II fairly
makes me dizzy to watch him-and
Until he has worn path in that thick
urf like circus ring. II he lies down
n the sun and pretends to go to SLEEP
he is listening with both cooked up
'ars readyto spring upon any unsus.
'ecting cat or fowl that comes near,
md he is doing his best to make us
'elieve that he is fond OF us and that