to see Stevie speechless,” Phil remarked. “Usually we can’t stop her from talking.”
“Even when she shouldn’t!”
“Look.… It’s a …”
“There she goes again,” Lisa joked.
Stevie’s talking wasn’t doing her any good, but her frantic pointing finally got somebody’s attention.
“The fox! Stevie spotted the fox!” May shouted, waving wildly at Mr. Baker and Chester, who were closest to the animal.
“Master! Huntsman! Whippers-in!” Mr. Baker called. “We have to get the hounds on the line again!”
It took some organizing, but in a very short time, the whippers-in and the huntsman managed to head the hounds in the direction where Stevie and May had seen the fox. As soon as the hounds were turned around, one of them picked up the scent and began giving tongue. That was what hunters called the excited howl of a hound who knew he was hot on the trail of a fox. What one hound began, twenty-four others quickly picked up. The din was incredible; the excitement was so strong, it could be felt in the air.
Stevie thought it was only a matter of seconds before all the hounds and the riders were chasing across the field, pursuing the fox.
If what had happened before was fun—and it was—this was an incredible experience. Stevie could feel her own heart pounding with the excitement—or was itthe beat of Topside’s hooves thundering across the field after the fox? It didn’t matter. The fact was, the whole experience was nothing short of thrilling.
The hounds led the riders across the field, into the woods, and through a glen, over fallen trees, around rocks, across creeks, and under branches. With each step, the hounds howled more loudly, each pushing to get to the front of the pack and be the first, panting and barking, eager to find their prey.
In turn the horses that followed the hounds seemed to feel the same way. The riders did whatever they had to in order to stay on and have the ride of their lives.
Starlight glided along the hillside, moving smoothly and speedily. Carole ducked beneath some branches and swept others aside. When Starlight prepared to jump, she followed along, for once letting her horse do the thinking. Everything was happening too fast for her to have time for thought. Her mind was processing all the experiences it could handle without taking charge. She found herself breathing hard, not because she was tired or worn out, but because she was simply excited. It was wonderful, beyond comparison to anything she’d ever done on horseback before.
And then it stopped, as quickly as it had started. The hounds were suddenly silent. They sniffed eagerly, but went nowhere, merely circling in a large open area surrounded by thick brush. The riders all drew to a halt, watching the hounds work, not wanting to interruptthem. They seemed to know how to do their job very well, as long as they weren’t chasing a phony trail or an elephant.
“He’s gone to ground,” Lisa said.
A few riders nodded. They’d learned their fox hunting terminology. That meant that the fox had found a place to hide underground. When foxes did that, they were usually safe and the hunt was over.
“We’ll wait awhile,” Chester said. “Sometimes foxes make mistakes.”
They waited. After twenty minutes, it was clear that the fox had simply outfoxed them all.
“Maybe the fox has gone back to Cross County for the hunt breakfast,” Lisa suggested. “Certain other foxes have been known to do that kind of thing before.”
Chester looked confused. Everybody else laughed. Max explained the joke to Chester. He smiled, too. Then Mr. Baker looked at his watch. It was almost noon, and it was going to take the riders another half an hour to get back to Cross County. It seemed like a good idea to call it a day and return to the stable. Although a few of the riders thought they would be more than willing to hunt the fox for the rest of their lives, the horses and the hounds seemed to be ready for a
“Even when she shouldn’t!”
“Look.… It’s a …”
“There she goes again,” Lisa joked.
Stevie’s talking wasn’t doing her any good, but her frantic pointing finally got somebody’s attention.
“The fox! Stevie spotted the fox!” May shouted, waving wildly at Mr. Baker and Chester, who were closest to the animal.
“Master! Huntsman! Whippers-in!” Mr. Baker called. “We have to get the hounds on the line again!”
It took some organizing, but in a very short time, the whippers-in and the huntsman managed to head the hounds in the direction where Stevie and May had seen the fox. As soon as the hounds were turned around, one of them picked up the scent and began giving tongue. That was what hunters called the excited howl of a hound who knew he was hot on the trail of a fox. What one hound began, twenty-four others quickly picked up. The din was incredible; the excitement was so strong, it could be felt in the air.
Stevie thought it was only a matter of seconds before all the hounds and the riders were chasing across the field, pursuing the fox.
If what had happened before was fun—and it was—this was an incredible experience. Stevie could feel her own heart pounding with the excitement—or was itthe beat of Topside’s hooves thundering across the field after the fox? It didn’t matter. The fact was, the whole experience was nothing short of thrilling.
The hounds led the riders across the field, into the woods, and through a glen, over fallen trees, around rocks, across creeks, and under branches. With each step, the hounds howled more loudly, each pushing to get to the front of the pack and be the first, panting and barking, eager to find their prey.
In turn the horses that followed the hounds seemed to feel the same way. The riders did whatever they had to in order to stay on and have the ride of their lives.
Starlight glided along the hillside, moving smoothly and speedily. Carole ducked beneath some branches and swept others aside. When Starlight prepared to jump, she followed along, for once letting her horse do the thinking. Everything was happening too fast for her to have time for thought. Her mind was processing all the experiences it could handle without taking charge. She found herself breathing hard, not because she was tired or worn out, but because she was simply excited. It was wonderful, beyond comparison to anything she’d ever done on horseback before.
And then it stopped, as quickly as it had started. The hounds were suddenly silent. They sniffed eagerly, but went nowhere, merely circling in a large open area surrounded by thick brush. The riders all drew to a halt, watching the hounds work, not wanting to interruptthem. They seemed to know how to do their job very well, as long as they weren’t chasing a phony trail or an elephant.
“He’s gone to ground,” Lisa said.
A few riders nodded. They’d learned their fox hunting terminology. That meant that the fox had found a place to hide underground. When foxes did that, they were usually safe and the hunt was over.
“We’ll wait awhile,” Chester said. “Sometimes foxes make mistakes.”
They waited. After twenty minutes, it was clear that the fox had simply outfoxed them all.
“Maybe the fox has gone back to Cross County for the hunt breakfast,” Lisa suggested. “Certain other foxes have been known to do that kind of thing before.”
Chester looked confused. Everybody else laughed. Max explained the joke to Chester. He smiled, too. Then Mr. Baker looked at his watch. It was almost noon, and it was going to take the riders another half an hour to get back to Cross County. It seemed like a good idea to call it a day and return to the stable. Although a few of the riders thought they would be more than willing to hunt the fox for the rest of their lives, the horses and the hounds seemed to be ready for a
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