On bringing the lantern nearer we finally caught sight of an
animal behind the logs. It was a fox surely enough, and it acted as if
it were disabled or dying. While Halstead and I held the lanterns,
Addison took aim and shot the beast. Tom found a stick with a projecting
knot that he could use as a hook, and with it he hauled the body out
into plain view. It was a large cross-gray fox.
"Boys, that skin's worth thirty dollars!" Tom exclaimed.
"But I shouldn't like to be the one to skin it," Addison said. "Don't
touch it with your hands, Tom."
While the girls were telling us of the fox's strange actions we warmed
ourselves at the fire in the camp stove, and then all set off for home,
for by this time it was getting late and the night was growing colder.
Halstead led the way with the two lanterns; Addison and I, each
shouldering a basket of mitchella, followed; Tom, dragging the body of
the fox with his hooked stick, came behind the girls. It was nearly
midnight when we reached home.
Tom still thought that the fox's silvery pelt ought to be saved; but the
old Squire persuaded him not to run the risk of skinning the creature.
CHAPTER XXX
WHEN BEARS WERE DENNING UP
Despite the hard times and low prices, the old Squire determined to go
on with his lumber business that winter; and as more teams were needed
for work at his logging camp in the woods, he bought sixteen
work-horses, from Prince Edward Island.
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