The Fox Cub Bold by Colin Dann

Author:Colin Dann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: RHCP

—— 13 ——

The Changes of a Season

Robber was delighted and amazed with Bold’s present and croaked a harsh little song to himself in his pleasure. ‘Things are looking up, Bold, my young friend,’ he said afterwards. ‘You’re a hunter again!’

Bold had to deny his prowess. ‘I had help,’ he said.

‘Oh-ho. It isn’t a certain young – er – ’

‘Yes, yes,’ Bold cut in good-humouredly. ‘A young female. After today you won’t see me here, Robber. She has her own den – with room for me.’

‘Well, well, that is good news,’ remarked Robber. ‘Er–I suppose you’ll still be hereabouts, will you? I shall stay on till the spring.’

‘Oh, yes. Hereabouts,’ Bold assented. ‘From now on I’ll leave you your share of the catch under the privet hedge.’

‘Oh, no!’ said the crow. ‘Forget about me. No need to worry. I can manage. You’ll have other things to do now.’

‘Well, if you want to see me, or need me for anything,’ said Bold, ‘leave a message under the hedge. Do you follow me?’

‘I do indeed, my friend. And you will do likewise?’

‘I most certainly will.’

‘Good. Then that’s settled,’ said Robber, ‘and very amicably too. And now for that rat.’

The next night Bold and Whisper unearthed their cache of food by the canal and enjoyed their second meal together. This time Bold did not reserve a portion for the crow, and the pair of foxes demolished the remainder of their catch. Whisper was quick to notice this point and the significance of it was not lost upon her.

‘You’ll be returning with me to my den?’ she asked her companion.

‘Yes, I shall,’ Bold answered diffidently.

‘You’ll find it a deal more comfortable than sleeping above ground – and warmer too,’ she remarked.

They went together to the canal bank to lap at the inky water. There was no sign of activity on the rats’ island. It seemed those that had escaped the foxes’ hungry jaws had deserted the site. Whisper led Bold away from the canal and along different paths towards the other side of the town. They came to a large churchyard enclosed by an old stone wall. Now they were suddenly faced with a problem, since Whisper’s earth lay within this boundary and she had been accustomed to jump the wall at a low point to reach it.

‘There must be another way in?’ Bold asked her hopefully.

‘I don’t think so. I completely forgot about your difficulty in jumping. Oh, Bold, what a stupid creature I am! But we’re not beaten yet.’

‘Of course we’re not. You know I can dig.’

‘It may be the only way; but let me do a bit of reconnoitring.’

She left him lying, rather too conspicuously for his liking, against the wall where a growth of ivy provided only a scant cover. After making a quick circuit, she came back.

‘I think I’ve found the answer,’ said Whisper. ‘Follow me.’

She took Bold to a spot where the stones of the ancient wall had started to crumble. She began to scratch at the falling blocks with a backward, kicking motion, and succeeded in making a small hole in the stonework.

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