126 THE LIFE OF A FOX.

the head at all, though not one hundred yards
behind those that were leading when they first
started.” 7

On other occasions I have saved my life in
a similar way, but a circumstance occurred
which almost made me resolve never again to
resort to a drain. I was one night crossing a
farm, not many miles from Dunse, when I heard
cries as of a fox in distress, and on going to
the spot whence the noise proceeded, I discovered
that two of my brethren were confined in a stone
drain, where they had been several days without
food, and were nearly starved. I used every exer-
tion in my power to scratch away the stones which
had been placed to stop up the entrance, in order
to prevent a fox going into it, as Lord Elcho’s
hounds were .to meet near it next day. For-
tunately Mr. Wilson, the owner of the land,
passed that way, and saw that the ground and
stones had been lately disturbed by me, when
he removed them, and saw the two foxes, one
of which was found dead shortly after. He
ascertained that his man had stopped them in