THE LIFE OF A FOX, 39

and forwards to show their anger. At length, as
daylight was appearing, my poor brother was rash
enough to make a sally, and had nearly swum
across to the land, when, overtaking him, they
commenced an attack, and by flapping their wings
against his head, and keeping him under water,
speedily drowned him, just as a man came up to
see what they were about.

_ They seemed to exult in their prowess, and
whilst they were proudly throwing back their
heads, and rowing in triumph round their victim,
I took an opportunity of crossing the water on
another side, and escaped, resolving never in
swimming to encounter the same risk again.
Nothing worth relating occurred until towards the
beginning of the following winter. It is true that
I was often induced to move and to quit the wood
in which I lay, owing to my being disturbed by the
hounds ; but as they never followed me far, and
were stopped by the whipper-in when I left the
covert, it was evident they came on purpose to hunt
young cubs; I therefore took care to retire to a

gorse covert near. Sutton Common, where none