There was a better way to catch them, though.

Foxes hate water, and never go into it unless they are obliged to, so we used to find a place where a tree had fallen across a river, and made a bridge for them to go back and forth on.

Here we set snares, with spring poles that would throw them into the river when they made struggles to get free, and drown them.

Did you ever hear of the fox, Laura, that wanted to cross a river, and lay down on the bank pretending that he was dead, and a countryman came along, and, thinking he had a prize, threw him in his boat and rowed across, when the fox got up and ran away ?" "Now, uncle," said Miss Laura, "you're laughing at me.

That couldn't be true." "No, no," said Mr.Wood, chuckling; "but they're mighty cute at pretending they're dead.