“Spirit-broken and cowed, at early dawn he recommenced his wanderings. The storm continued through the whole day. The country was deserted and wild. Not a tree afforded food or shelter, and scanty indeed was the fare that the poor squirrel could find.
“Completely cured of his desire to travel, Captain Robert would gladly have taken the way back to his own green forest, and his father’s house. He looked on every side for some friend who might direct him,—but who would be strolling about in such weather as this, except foolish, disobedient, wandering Robert?
“Troubles never come singly to the truant; and while our poor squirrel was looking for the way home, and thinking of nothing else, he came very near being saved the trouble of looking further.
“A hungry, mischievous fox, saw and almost caught him. In spite of his fatigue and hunger, unlucky Bob had to skip for it now. The fox was too fast for him on the level ground, and Master Robert just saved his distance, by running fleetly up some ragged rocks, where the fox could not follow.
“Here was a pretty case for Robert the bold captain, who despised danger, and laughed at the tears of his mother, and the warnings of his father. His fine bushy tail dragging on the wet earth, his paws torn and bleeding with running among the sharp stones, and not a bit of food, or a drop of drink, to be found on the barren rock to which he had been compelled to betake himself for safety.”
“Was the fox a hound, father?” asked Mary.
“No, child, I imagine not,” answered Mr. Goodman, “A hound is a dog.”
“Oh, that’s what I mean—a dog fox—no, a fox-hound,” said Mary, clapping her little hands. “It was Squire Jones’s fox-hounds that chased our Frank up into the hay-loft.”
“Captain Robert Squirrel’s plight was a bad one, indeed,” continued Mr. Goodman. “He feared to descend, cold, shivering, and all exposed as he was; for though he could not see the fox, who could tell out of what hole his cunning and watchful enemy would pop, to seize him? And if he stayed where he was, the chances were that he would die of cold and hunger.
