92 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

before he saw me, and caused a slight check,
after which they again approached me, just as
I had reached the wall which surrounded the
wood, at the top of the hill looking into the
vale, where I descended, and looking back, saw
the hounds for a short time again at a check,
owing to that high ground being slightly covered
with snow. I dreaded lest they should take
the hounds on beyond the snow towards the
vale where I was; but they soon turned back,
and I heard no more. It was nearly three
o’clock, which some think time to go homeward,
rather than from home, as would have been
the case if they had followed me, when probably
I should not have lived to tell my tale. The
scent in the vale is always so much greater than
on the hills from which they had hunted me,
that I must have fallen a prey to this pack.
Although we are endowed with so large a
share of wisdom, it is not all-sufficient; or
else we should be aware that when pursued
by hounds, and nearly beaten by them, it

must be all but certain death to us to run