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 moonlight made it glimmer, but he took the wild chance. For a moment he let the sight glitter against the dark fox silhouetted against the bush, and then pulled the trigger.

To his great surprise, the old hunter sprang into the air, gave two or three feeble jumps and then tumbled upon the ground.

Bud ran to him in all haste, but even when he reached the fox he did not dare touch him. He might be shamming, so he shot him again through the head. But there was no shamming. Father Fox was quite dead, and the excited boy shouldered the fox and carried him home.

Mother Fox and the young foxes never knew just what became of him. All they knew was that he was never seen again in the spruces, or upon the range where they had hunted together.

Thus it was that the fox family lost their guardian and protector at a very important time. Had Father Fox lived to school them still more against hounds and hunters, as well as to give them more valuable lessons on traps and poison, things might have