106 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

dured, confined as I was by the mangled foot?
Day-light appeared, when, nearly exhausted
with pain, I made a desperate effort with my
other fore-foot, and succeeded in pulling out
the peg that confined to the ground the chain
of the trap, which I dragged away for some
distance. I then lay down overcome with pain,
and in this deplorable condition remained for
two or three days and nights. The foot being
now as it were benumbed, and almost insensible,
I in order to save my life fairly bit it off with
my teeth, and thus released myself from the trap.
Not long after this had occurred a more tragical
affair took place in this very same covert. In the
early part of the month of March in the present
year eighteen hundred and forty-three, I was lying,
as was my custom, in a thick and broad hedge,
when late in the day I was much frightened by
the approach of the hounds, passing near me
rather quickly, to my great relief, for it appeared
that they had not found a fox all day. They
immediately begun drawing the covert, and shortly

afterwards a fox was seen with an iron trap fast