“Look out for what?” asked Sharp Eyes.
“For hunters,” answered Red Tail. “I’ll tell you how I happen to know. Last year, when I was a tiny little fox, I was caught in a trap. A man who was a trapper of wild animals up in these North Woods caught me. He took me home to his cabin, and there I saw the skins of many foxes hung up to dry.
“There were many like mine, but only one or two of a silver color. As I was so small, the trapper kept me to tame me, and I stayed in his cabin a long time. There I learned to know a little of the talk that men hunters and trappers speak.
“Other hunters and trappers used to come to the cabin to buy furs, and they paid more for that of a silver fox than for any other. That is how I know your silver coat would bring a lot of money if a hunter or a trapper caught you. So you want to be careful when you go out in the woods.”
“Thank you, I will,” promised Sharp Eyes. “I’ll be careful. Thank you for telling me, Red Tail.”
The two foxes talked in animal talk a little longer, and Sharp Eyes was just going back to his hollow log when, all of a sudden, a loud clap, like thunder, sounded in the woods.
“What’s that?” cried Sharp Eyes. “Is it going to rain?”
“No! That was the sound of a gun!” cried Red Tail. “That was a hunter’s gun! We had better hide, Sharp Eyes! The hunters, even now, may be after your silver fur!”
And away ran Red Tail and Sharp Eyes.