And then away off,beyond Pryors',and Hoods',and Dovers',I could see a line of tiny specks coming toward me,and racing flying things that must have been people on horses riding back and forth to give the foxes no chance to find a hiding place.No chance!Laddie and the Princess,Mr.Pryor and father,and all of them were after the bad old foxes;and they were going to get them;because they'd have no chance--Not with a solid line of men with raving dogs surrounding them,and people on horseback racing after them,no!the foxes would wish now that they had left the pigs and lambs alone.In that awful roaring din,they would wish,Oh how they would wish,they were birds and could fly!Fly back to their holes like the Bible said they had,where maybe they LIKED to live,and no doubt they had little foxes there,that would starve when their mammies were caught alive,to save their skins.
To save their skins!I could hear myself breathe,and feel my teeth click,and my knees knock together.And then!Oh dear!
There they came across our cornfield.Two of them!And they could fly,almost.At least you could scarcely see that they touched the ground.The mean old things were paying up for the pigs and lambs now.Through the fence,across the road,straight toward me they came.Almost red backs,nearly white beneath,long flying tails,beautiful pointed ears,and long tongues,fire red,hanging from their open mouths;their sleek sides pulsing,and that awful din coming through the woods behind them.One second,the first paused to glance toward either side,and threw back its head to listen.What it saw,and heard,showed it.I guess then it was sorry it ever took people's ham,and their greens,and their blankets;and it could see and hear that it had no chance--to save its skin.
"Oh Lord!Dear Lord!Help me!"I prayed.
It had to be me,there was no one else.I never had opened the big doors;I thought it took a man,but when I pushed with all my might--and maybe if the hairs of our heads were numbered,and the sparrows counted,there would be a little mercy for the foxes--I asked for help;maybe I got it.The doors went back,and I climbed up the ladder to the haymow a few steps and clung there,praying with all my might:"Make them come in!Dear Lord,make them come in!Give them a chance!Help them to save their skins,O Lord!"With a whizz and a flash one went past me,skimmed the cider press,and rushed across the hay;then the other.I fell to the floor and the next thing I knew the doors were shut,and I was back at my place.I just went down in a heap and leaned against the wall and shook,and then I laughed and said:"Thank you,Lord!Thank you for helping with the door!And the foxes!The beautiful little red and white foxes!They've got their chance!
They'll save their skins!They'll get back to their holes and their babies!Praise the Lord!"I knew when I heard that come out,that it was exactly like my father said it when Amos Hurd was redeemed.I never knew father to say it so impressively before,because Amos had been so bad,people really were afraid of him,and father said if once he got started right,he would go at it just as hard as he had gone at wrongdoing.I suppose I shouldn't have said it about a fox,when there were the Dorkings,and ham,and white wool dresses,and all that,but honestly,I couldn't remember that I cared particularly whether Amos Hurd was redeemed or not;he was always lovely to children;while I never in all my life had wanted anything worse than I wanted those foxes to save their skins.I could hear them pant like run out dogs;and I could hear myself,and I hadn't been driven from my home and babies,maybe--and chased miles and miles,either.
Then I just shook.They came pounding,roaring and braying right around the barn,and down the lane.The little door flew open and a strange man stuck in his head.
"Shut that door!"I screamed."You'll let them in on me,and they bite!They're poison!They'll kill me!"I hadn't even thought of it before.
"See any foxes?"cried the man.
"Two crossed our barnyard headed that way!"I cried back,pointing east."Shut the door!"The man closed it and ran calling as he went:"It's all right!
They crossed the barnyard.We've got them!"
I began to dance and beat my hands,and then I stopped and held my breath.They were passing,and the noise was dreadful.They struck the sides of the barn,poked around the strawstack,and something made me look up,and at the edge of the hay stood a fox ready to spring.If it did,it would go from the door,right into the midst thereof.Nothing but my red hood sailing straight at it,and a yell I have,drove it back.No one hit the barn again,the line closed up,and went on at a run now,they were so anxious to meet and see what they had.Then came the beat of hoofs and I saw that all the riders had dropped back,and were behind the line of people on foot.I watched Laddie as he flew past waving to me,and I grabbed my scarf to wave at him.The Princess flashed by so swiftly I couldn't see how she looked,and then I heard a voice I knew cry:"Ep!Ep!Over Lad!"And I almost fell dead where I stood.Mr.Pryor sailed right over the barnyard fence into the cornfield,ripping that dumb-bell as he went,and neck and neck,even with him,on one of his finest horses,was our Leon.His feet were in the stirrups,he had the reins tight,he almost stood as he arose,his face was crimson,his head bare,his white hair flying,the grandest sight you ever saw.At the top of my voice I screamed after them,"Ep!Ep!
Over lad!"and then remembered and looked to see if I had to chase back the foxes,but they didn't mind only me,after what they had been through.Then I sat down suddenly again.
Well!What would father think of that!Leon kill a horse of ours indeed!There he was on one of Mr.Pryor's,worth as much as six of father's no doubt,flying over fences,and the creek was coming,and the bank was steep behind the barn.I was up again straining to see.
"Ep!Ep!Over!"rang the cry.
