114 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

see him run, with the greatest ease, up the
perpendicular wall, as he daily did, aided by
the roughness of the surface alone.

It now remains for me to explain how I am
here and at liberty. We were one day surprised
by the entrance of our feeder, who brought in
several hampers, in which we were all taken to
be turned out in the adjoining woods, there to
shift for ourselves.

So you see that although I cannot boast of
having beaten a pack of hounds, according to
the tenor of the invitation, I have run away
from them altogether, and am here to do you
service, by proving the error of the arch enemy,
in’ thinking it absolutely necessary for his
hounds to devour the animal they have been
hunting, that their ardour in the chase may be
increased. I have been sorely hunted by them,
my friends, and not until they had won the day,
and run up to their object, did they relax—
not till then were they satisfied.

Again I would ask, why should our enemy

wish to slaughter us, when seeking refuge in