The San Francisco call., 1910-02-19

and to give him something more to
eat and a larger box TO lie in. This
reassured him very much, for he
thought that if the men meant to Kill
him they would not be likely to give
him such lot OF kind attention. After
this the journey proceeded again, and
they travelled a long time miles and
miles beyond the neighborhood to
which Silver Fox had been accustomed,
until they came to a most peculiar
place where there were more human
beings and their dens and a curious
wire inclosurc such as silver Fox
had never seen before.
Then Silver Fox was lifted from the
wagon and carried into the wire in
closure and released from his box so
that he might stretch his legs and look
about him
Silver Fox shifted, for he smelled his
kind and he knew that there were
other foxes near him. It made him feel
the more delighted to think that there,
as in his part of the forest, he would
have friends and companions, to all OF
whom he would be superior 1t was a
moonlight night, and Silver Fox de
cided he would like to get a good look
at the other foxes who evidently lived
in this strange place, so he walked eau
tiusly and lightly around the small
wooden dens, with which the place was
filled looking for his fellow lodgers.
They were all playing back of the
wooden dens, evidently having quite a
good time, in spite of the fact that
they were in captivity Silver Fox
paused to look them over before he
Joined the group and permitted them
to make his acquaintance.
Then something happened to Silver
Fox which was great deal worse than
anything that had ever happened to
him before.
To his astonishment and horror he
saw that there was not a single ordt
nary fox~in the group.
Every single one of them was sill
yer fox.
There was no possibility of being
mistaken about it.
Their black bodies CLEANED in the
moonlight, the tips of their tails flashed
and the sflvery sheen on their hind
quarters was unmistakable
Silver Fox gave one Mortified glance
at them and then SUNK back to the
shelter of the wooden dens the most
disillusioned animal in the world.
During the days that followed the
keepers of the silver fox farm wondered
greatly about their latest acquisition.
The new conner was very unhappy and
refused to be comforted. All the choic-
est daintieS known to the farm larder
were produced to tempt Silver Fox out
of his sulks, but in vain; he ate barely
enough to keep him alive and refused
to notice the other foxes or to come
out OF MS nlulnS place III the corner
Of the Enclosure.
Day by day he grew more and more
dispirted and instead of regaining his
former looks as a result of the good
regular food that was provided him, he
wasted away to mere shadow and
lost all possible claim to comelneSS.
He was too unhappy to care about any
thing, and it was plain to everybody
that in a very little while, if some
thing were not done about it, Silver
Fox would grieve himself to death.
Everybody supposed he was pining
for his freedom, and one day the
little daughter of the keeper of the
silver fox farm, who had sympathzed
very much with the poor, unhappy ami
NAL, prevailed upon her father to allow
poor Silver Fox to be taken back to the
forest from which they had brought
him, as he was sure to die if kept in
captivity and his pelt in it's present
condition would not be valuable. Silver
Fox was put into the wagon again
and driven quite near to his former
home and freed. so that he might find
his way easily back to his old haunts.
Hard times were over in the forest
and there was plenty of food to be had
now with very little exertion. but poor
Silver Fox cared so little about any
thing since he had found out that there
were other silver foxes In the world
that he wouldn't have had the heart to
hunt for himself If he hadn't met his
cousin of the cross fox family, the sec
ond day after his return.
"Oh," said his cousin, 'my dear fell
low how badly you are looking. The
winter has gone hard with you, but
now that we are having good times
again you will soon be able to feed
yourself up"
IT don't know that it is worth while"
said Silver Fox, despondently.
mot worth while" said his cousin in
astonishment, when you are the only
silver fox in the world and every one
admires you so. Why, surely II is"
1t was from that moment that Silver
Fox began to pluck up heart. and as