The Life of a Fox, Written by HimselfSmith, Thomas
General
The Life of a Fox, Written by Himself
Smith, Thomas
Fox hunting
Alas! he is no more. He was captured, and massacred, and died an
ignominious death. It happened last autumn that he was found as usual
in Grafton Park one morning, as soon as it was light, by this new pack,
when he had imprudently glutted himself, and was thinking again to save
his life by immediately running into a drain, in which he had so often
saved himself before after a severe day’s hunting. He who had been king
of the forest, and had for so many years fairly beaten his enemies, was
now dug out and devoured by the hounds on the spot. Oh! the ruthless
and unfeeling beasts! Yet, be it confessed, that we ourselves do
sometimes dig out a mouse or so, but it is to eat him kindly, you know.
Here I intended to finish my story, but as I am expected to explain
how I have escaped from every pack by which I have been hunted, I must
add, that having for a long time had a wish to see that part of the
Northampton country hunted till last year by the Duke of Grafton’s
hounds, in which the woods were of immense size, having heard that
T. Carter and his killing pack had left the country, and thinking it
would be a place of greater security for my old age, I went there last
spring, but had not been long settled in Puckland’s woods before I was
disturbed by hearing another pack, which soon found me out, and pursued
me for some time most closely, till at length they came to a check.
When listening, I heard a person ride up and use these words to the
huntsman: “Well, what are you going to do now? You had better be doing
something; it’s no use standing still.” There was some reply which I
could not hear. However, I discovered that the man addressed was Taylor
the huntsman, and that the pack was the remainder of that by which I
had first been hunted when it belonged to Mr. Osbaldiston. The only
difference I could observe was, that they were not quite so powerful.
That they were stout enough I had reason to know; for although I
escaped after their hunting me for several hours in these large woods,
they afterwards killed another fox without leaving the covert.
On another day, when I was lying in a large covert adjoining the Forest
of Whittlebury, and the hounds had been drawing some distance beyond
the spot where I lay, I thought that I could steal away unseen, and
had nearly reached the outside of the wood when I was much annoyed by
the noise of a jay, which kept flying above me as I went on. When I
stopped I heard a man say, “There is a fox moving close to that jay,
I’ll be sworn; just look, you will see him cross that path directly.”
This talking frightened me from the spot, and on my going a little
farther and crossing a path, another man exclaimed, “There he goes! it
was a fox that jay was making such a noise about.” He then gave a loud
view-halloo; the hounds soon came up, and after running some time in
the forest, I left them following another fox.
The little I had to say is said.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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