THE LIFE OF A FOX. 33

last, Sawyer gave it up as a forlorn hope, and left
him, just remarking, “Well, I never see’d such
an uneasy creature as you be, in all my life.” He
then followed the pack, which had by that time
left the cover in pursuit of the first fox, which
they had been running all the time. Yet we foxes
have reason to know that a more determined and
ardent enemy to us, in the shape of a whipper-in,
than this man, never lived. It fortunately hap-
pened for me that the weather now became very
dry ; for I was not unfrequently disturbed by these
hounds, and though the scent was not very good
in this plough country, I was at times much
more distressed after being hunted than on former
occasions, and was often nearly beaten ; for it is not
in our nature to be moving in the heat of the day,
and not being so much inured to it as the hounds
were, I expected to fall a prey to their able hunts-
man, who, when his hounds would not hunt me,
appeared to know where I was gone to; and very
often, when all was silent, and I thought myself
safe, brought them on without hunting, and cross-
ing the line I had come; so that against him
c 5