i8 REDPAD THE FOX 
was interspersed with whip-cracking and shouts. 
It all sounded very loud and alarming to Redpad, 
who was accustomed to the stillness of the woods, 
and he decided to move on. He was cantering 
along a ride when suddenly, on turning a corner, 
he came full upon a horseman. The man stared 
at Redpad, and Redpad stared at the man for a 
few seconds, and then the former leaped into the 
bushes ; but as he fled he heard a view-halloa 
behind him. 
He galloped through thickets and crashed 
through briars, and as he ran he heard the pack 
give tongue on his line. Up till now he had not 
realised that the presence of the strangers in the 
wood boded anything evil to the Foxkind, but 
had simply avoided them because they were new 
to him and noisy. At last it dawned on him that 
he was pursued, and he experienced all the fears of 
the hunted. In his extremity he ran back to the 
thicket where he had slept, to seek his cunning 
mother's help. Several times he was obliged to 
go out of his way to evade hounds who were hunting 
up and down the wood ; for it was the first time 
that many of the puppies had been out, and the 
experience had proved too much for their wits. 
Some four couple were unpleasantly close to Redpad's 
brush as he entered the thicket, but he dodged 
