. St. Nicholas [serial] . ugar-making was over, to turntheir attention to the destruction of their trou-blesome neighbors. The motive of my interest in the foxes wasvery different from that of the farmer and hisfamily, with whom I was staying, so that myenthusiasm was less easily dispelled. I wasbent, not on their destruction, but on learningmore of their habits and real life,— how theycared for their young and protected themselvesfrom the many dangers that beset them,— andon obtaining, if possible, some photographs ofwild foxes. One day, while in an old stump-lot whichsloped south, I caught a
. St. Nicholas [serial] . ugar-making was over, to turntheir attention to the destruction of their trou-blesome neighbors. The motive of my interest in the foxes wasvery different from that of the farmer and hisfamily, with whom I was staying, so that myenthusiasm was less easily dispelled. I wasbent, not on their destruction, but on learningmore of their habits and real life,— how theycared for their young and protected themselvesfrom the many dangers that beset them,— andon obtaining, if possible, some photographs ofwild foxes. One day, while in an old stump-lot whichsloped south, I caught a glimpse of a large foxas he disappeared behind a knoll and then re-appeared a little farther on. He trotted leisurelyacross the open pasture, never once turning hishead or in any manner indicating that he hadseen me. He was not fifteen rods away, and PHOTOGRAPHING A WILD FOX. [June, would have been an easy shot, but I would nothave killed him for all the poultry in the farm-yard. I immediately seated myself by an old. BAIT FOR THE FOX. stump and focused my field-glass upon the beau-tiful animal. I had no sooner done this thanthe fox, which probably had been watching meall the time, sat down, dog-fashion, and turnedhis gaze full upon me. For ten minutes thereseemed to be an equal fascination betweenman and fox, and then a sudden change cameover the fox. My perfect quietness seemed todisturb him. His frequent change of position,the occasional opening of the mouth, and otherquick, nervous movements, told very plainly ofthe strain he was undergoing. During this time I had lowered the glass andwas gazing intently at him, and never for an in-stant did he take his eyes from me. I was at aloss to know how to proceed, for I very much desired a closer acquaintance with this wonder-ful old fox, who had matched his wit againstthat of man and the trained hound. The foxevidently had a similar inclination, for he slowlyraised himself, standing at full height for a mo-ment, and then advan
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Keywords: ., bookauthordodgemar, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1873
