Part 28 (1/2)

And he tightened his grasp on the strong, impatient animal, which struggled desperately to free himself, while George and Harry began the work of ”poking out the fox.” They thrust their poles into the holes they had cut in the roots of the stump, and the next moment out popped the fox, and started toward the woods like a streak of light.

The meadow was about a mile and a half square, and was laid off in ”dead furrows”--deep ditches, which are dug, about four rods apart, to drain off the water. The fox took to the bank of one of these furrows, and followed it at a rate of speed which the boys had never seen equaled.

The moment Lightfoot discovered him, he raised himself on his hind-legs, and struggled and fought furiously. But Frank would not release him in that position, for fear the hound would ”throw”

himself; and he commenced striking him on the head, to compel him, if possible, to place his fore-feet on the ground, but all to no purpose.

During the struggle, short as it was, the fox had gained nearly thirty rods. Archie was not slow to notice this, and he shouted to his cousin,

”Let him go! let him go! The fox has too long a start already.”

Frank accordingly released the hound, which made an enormous bound, and, as Frank had expected, he landed, all in a heap, in one of the dead furrows, and, before he could recover himself, the fox had gained two or three rods more. But when the hound was fairly started, his speed was astonis.h.i.+ng. He settled down n.o.bly to his work, and moved over the ground as lightly as if he had been furnished with wings.

Had he been a well-trained dog, the boys would have felt no concern whatever as to the issue of the race; but, as it was, they looked upon the escape of the fox as a very probable thing. The fox was still following the dead furrow, and Lightfoot, instead of pursuing directly after him, as he ought to have done, took to another furrow which ran parallel to the one the fox was following, and about four rods from it.

The fox had a good start, but the enormous bounds of the greyhound rapidly lessened the distance between them; he gained at every step, and finally overtook him, and the two animals were running side by side, and only four rods apart.

Suddenly the cunning fox turned, and started off exactly at right angles with the course he had been following. The gray hound, of course, had not been expecting this, and he made a dozen of his long bounds before he could turn himself. During this time the fox gained several rods.

As before, the hound pursued a course parallel with that of the fox, instead of following directly after him.

In a few moments they were again running side by side, but this time further apart than before. Again and again the fox turned, each time nearing the woods, and gaining considerably; and finally, reaching the end of the meadow, he cleared the fence at a bound, and disappeared in the bushes.

”Now, that's provoking!” exclaimed Archie.

”Never mind,” answered Frank. ”I don't think the fox can go much further. He must be pretty well tired out, judging by the way he ran.

Here, Sport!” he continued, ”hunt 'em up!”

Sport was off like a shot, and the boys followed after as fast as their legs could carry them.

When they reached the woods, they found Lightfoot beating about in the bushes, as if he expected to find the fox concealed among them. Sport was standing over the trail of the fox, as motionless as if he had been turned into stone.

”Hunt 'em up!” shouted Frank, again--”hunt 'em up.”

The hound uttered a loud bark, and instantly set off on the trail, and Lightfoot, as before, followed close at his heels.

”Now,” exclaimed Frank, ”we must change our tactics.”

”Yes,” said Harry. ”A little further on, the ridge branches off, and there is no knowing which one the fox will follow. Come, George, we will go this way.”

And he turned and ran down into the meadow again.

”Run like blazes, now!” shouted Frank.

And, suiting the action to the word, he turned off in the opposite direction, and led the way through the woods at a rate which made Archie wonder. They ran along in ”Indian file”--Brave bringing up the rear--for almost two miles, through the thickest part of the woods, when they again found themselves on the ridge. After ascertaining that the fox had not yet pa.s.sed, they took their stations.

”I would really like to know which way that fox went,” said Archie, panting hard after his long run.