he could hardly stand up; and it seemed a matter of small importance when his crate was thrust into what was evidently a part of the monster, and he was whirled away with sickening motion and bewildering tumult.

QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. What is told in the earlier 6.

part of the story of Red

Fox that is not given
here?

2. In what way was he taken to
his captor's home?

How do men and women

follow the hounds after a fox? What do you think of the sport?

7. For what did the stranger want Red Fox?

3. How did Red Fox pre- 8. Why did he have to lie to the

4. What intelligent things did 9. Describe Red Fox's trip to

Study carefully the meanings of the following words before you read Part II:

nerve:

courage.

wonted courage: usual courage. ple and houses about Red Fox. here the word means apprehension: fear of danger. emergency: a situation requiring quick thought and action. marveled: wondered. agility: ability to run and leap. amazement: great wonder.

plenitude: plentifulness, or very

many.

knoll (nōl): a small round hill. girdle of civilization: many peo

disaster: here the word means | dejection: hopelessness of es

Not till he had been traveling for nearly a day could he bring himself to eat or drink. Then, little by little, seeing that men lived and seemed to have no dread whatever of the monster, he resumed his wonted courage. But just as he was finding himself master 5 of the situation, the train came to a long stop, and his crate was lifted from the car. Once more he was put into a wagon and taken for a drive. Presently, the wagon stopped in front of a low, wide-winged, imposing red structure, where men lounged on the large 10 porch, and saddled horses stood before the steps. Here the crate was lifted down, and the stranger began pointing out Red Fox's beauties to a knot of men who had come forward to inspect the prize.

"He'll give us the neatest run the 'Merry-brooks' 15 have ever had,” said one.

"Look at that cool and cunning eye!" said another. "He's got brains. He'll give us more than one run, I'm thinking, before that mighty brush hangs on the wall!"

"I could find it in my heart to wish he might fool us altogether!" cried a third.

In the middle of the lawn before the clubhouse, the

20

crate was set on its side and the cover removed. On the very instant, as if shot out by a spring, Red Fox leaped forth. On the other side of the clubhouse, he had noted a stretch of wild land, wooded and brushy. 5 The moment his feet touched solid earth, he doubled straight back toward the spectators, darted fairly between the legs of one, under the nearest horse, behind a clump of bushes, and vanished before any one had time to more than look around.

10 The stranger, who had brought Red Fox so far, glowed with pride.

"Did you ever see such speed?" cried one.
"And such nerve?" cried another.

"He's all right, Mack!" exclaimed several at once. 15 The new land in which Red Fox now found himself was greatly to his taste, and his blood ran wildly in the sweetness of recovered freedom. Here were dense coverts, patches of swamp, long, though narrow, stretches of woodland, and bright green meadows in20 closed with stone walls. Here and there a steep, rocky knoll, set thick with trees, arose out of the levels; and here and there a much-meandering brook, narrow but deepish, spread out into a pond, which suggested to him a plenitude of wild ducks. From a rock on the 25 crest of the highest knoll, he saw that this pleasant, new range of his was almost completely surrounded by settlements and smoky villages; but beyond these, to the north and west, ran a purple barrier of mountains, as wild-looking as his own Ringwaak. He had

AWAY WENT THE SPLENDID PACK IN LOUD CHORUS

half a mind to set out for these mountains at once, not quite liking the girdle of civilization which he saw drawn about him; but that was only a passing whim. He had no other fault to find with his present domain. 5 Game was abundant, and the more he explored these coverts, the more content with them he became. Before he had been three days in possession, he knew them thoroughly. There seemed to be no active enemies about, and the men whom he saw lounging 10 on the clubhouse porches appeared unlikely to give him any annoyance.

On the morning of the fourth day, however, he was surprised to note a great bustle and stir before the clubhouse. From the top of his knoll, he wondered 15 at the scarlet-coated riders, who were gathering quickly, with here and there among them a slenderer, dark figure, which seemed to stick mysteriously upon one side of her horse. His interest, however, turned speedily to apprehension when he saw a pack of dogs, 20 perhaps ten or twelve in number (he did not know how to count), coming up over a rise beyond the clubhouse. He understood now certain baying voices, which he had heard several times in the distance; and he realized in a second that now was an old game about to be 25 played in a new way. He himself it was, and none other, that all this fuss was about. For a moment his heart sank, and his brush dropped. Then confidence returned. He sat up with sprightly cocked ears and head to one side, as was his ancient custom, and eyed