REDPAD THE FOX 51 
Redpad and his love came back up the hill, full-fed 
and contented. The Beloved trotted in front, and 
her mate followed some little way behind. Suddenly 
the narrow goat-path took a sharp turn, and they 
came full upon an enormous fox. He stood half an 
inch higher at the shoulder than Redpad, and his 
coat was as grey as a badger's. He bared his teeth 
a little at the sight of Redpad, but most of his at- 
tention was concentrated upon the Beloved. He 
crept forward with his long neck stretched out and 
touched her red shoulder. Redpad bared his double 
row of ivory fangs and the hair along his spine rose. 
In another moment he would have flown at his 
rival's throat, had not the Beloved, as is the custom 
of the fox-kind, taken the quarrel upon herself. 
She flew at the Grey One with a fierce growl, and 
made her teeth meet in his flank. He would have 
fought with Redpad while he had a pad left to stand 
upon, but by the law of the Woods a fox may not 
attack a vixen in the love season. He felt the 
Beloved's strong jaws close like a trap behind his 
ears, and fled. The vixen trotted back slowly to 
her lair, glancing back now and then over her 
shoulder and growling softly at the recollection of 
her recent skirmish and many other things. And 
Redpad, her accepted suitor, followed. 
