page [108] (seq. 109)

108
A Trip to Concord, Mass.
1900
June 29-30
(4)
Fox in Concord.
told me a story of an adventure he had
two or three days before with a fox at this
very place. He was standing on the rock
(it is called Pulpit Rock) looking towards a
stone wall some thirty yards ahead, when
he saw a fox clear the wall, approach a
short distance with head down, and then
follow a run way going about parallel
with the wall. Will immediately began
to squeak like a mouse and at the
same time remained absolutely motionless.
The fox turned sharply at the sound and with head
still lowered, never looking up, moved towards Will.
The squeaking continued and the fox advanced till
within about 20 feet. He was a big fellow and
looked ugly, and Will grew nervous and was about
to stop the noise, when the fox paused, and made
a circuit of just half a circumference to
get the scent probably of the object he was after
for the wind was blowing up to this time
from the fox to Will. The second he had
completed the circuit, he learned that a
man, his natural enemy was near, and
without a moment’s hesitation he bounded away
aided by the shouts that Will uttered when
he learned that he was discovered.

This shows how dependent the fox is upon
scent to learn what to seek, and what to
avoid in his hard search for a living.
Certainly in this case, had he seen Will
before he did, he would have run off then.