98 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

go on with them, but stopped and blew his horn
for the others which he had left. Some of them
shortly after came, but seeing him stopping where
he was, did not appear to be in any haste, pos-
sibly because they were aware that they had left
a fox in the covert; but, from his stopping, it
might not have appeared to them that a fox had
gone on, or they would not have taken it so
leisurely.

To this, then, do I attribute my escape ; for,
though they did hunt me for a mile or so, the
time was lost, and so too, of course, the scent ;
this, added to the impatience shown by the men
who were out, settled the business for me. An
accident which had lately occurred to Stephen,
the huntsman, by which his foot was injured, pre-
vented him, I conclude, from being every moment
close to the hounds, when these men were 80
anxious to get on, and the huntsman’s presence
was so absolutely necessary to prevent their doing
mischief, However, I had no reason to regret it,
for I went straight across a fine country; though

it was reported that I had returned to the covert,