REDPAD THE FOX 21 
passed, but to fox ideas a man was far less dangerous 
than the hounds behind, and he took no notice. 
He galloped across the field and entered the clump 
of trees in the middle. Suddenly another fox 
leaped up and went away in front of him. It was 
Vix. She knew well who were following their line, 
and cantered at her top speed; but she was still heavy 
and drowsy after her full meal at dawn, and presently 
Redpad, tired as he was, overtook and passed her. 
The pack was very close behind as they entered 
the narrow belt of woodland at the top of the field ; 
but the hounds were all alone, for the thick hedge 
had stopped the horses at the bottom of the hill, and 
they had been obliged to go a long way round. Red- 
pad's tongue was out, for he had run far through the 
wood that morning, and, besides, he was very fright- 
ened. Just in front of him loomed the high demesne 
wall. Redpad had leaped upon it, when he sud- 
denly noticed a thick bush of ivy which overhung the 
coping to his right, and instead of leaping down the 
other side he crept into the ivy and lay there panting. 
A second later Vix came up. Twice she leaped 
and twice she fell back, but the third time she gained 
the coping just as the hounds came up. They 
crowded over the wall on the scent, Ravager leading, 
and poured down the hill on the other side after the 
little red figure half a field's length in front. They 
