Brave immediately ran to join them, and Harry exclaimed,
"I'd like to know what those dogs are doing there?"
"Why, they've got the fox treed," said Frank.
"A fox treed!" repeated Harry, with a laugh, "Whoever heard of such a thing?"
"I have often read," answered Frank, "that when a fox is hard pressed, and finds himself unable to escape, he will take advantage of any place of concealment he can find."
While this conversation was going on, the boys had been running toward the stump, and, when they reached it, they found Brave with his head buried in a hole near the ground, now and then giving his tail a jerk, but otherwise remaining as motionless as a statue.
"What do you think now of the possibility of seeing a fox?" inquired Frank, turning to Harry.
"I don't believe it yet," said the latter.
"Then how is it that the dogs are here?"
"The fox may have run down here and doubled on his trail, and thus thrown the dogs off the scent."