close to the great river back to the foothills ten or twelve miles away.
The fox burrow in the spruces was in a little ravine about a mile from the western end of the mountain and on the northern slope. To the north, a mile away, the lowlying farm land began. The first of these farms at the foot of the mountain was that of the Holcome family, where Bud lived.
The Fox Club, twenty strong, with twelve hounds, left their teams at the Holcome farm and swarmed up the mountain side, spreading out so as to cover a strip half a mile wide. The hounds were kept in twos or threes until the fox should be started.
Redcoat, who was out very early that morning, discovered the hunting party and gave the alarm. Mother Fox commanded that all should follow her and started to lead her family through the most inaccessible country, back along the mountain range. Redcoat and Cross Fox did as she told them, but Fuzzy and Little Brother very foolishly slipped away to the spruces and hid in the burrow. If the hounds had discovered their
