It was a warm May afternoon, unusually dry and hot for the time of year. The vixen slept, curled into a huddle with three pups, all replete from the large meal they had enjoyed that morning.听She awoke with a jolt when her mate dashed into their den underneath a dead oak tree:
"Move!听The听farmer's听coming with the dogs. He's got the gun." They听each snatched a cub loosely by the scruff, leaving a trail of听bedding leaves behind as they scrambled to the entrance, stopping to scan through foliage, eyes darting, nostrils sniffy.听The dog fox, silent cub in his mouth, slurred:听听
"All clear, let's go."
As his family dashed away, the solitary cub, bereft of the comfort of his siblings, rootled into leaves, whimpering,听 then lay still. The foxes ran on, beyond the copse of oaks, over a field to the far hedge, dropped down their burdens, then lay panting in a ditch, cubs writhing.
"I听have to go back for him" the vixen insisted.
"No!" His听growl听was strict, leave him for now. Listen" The posse had reached the copse, the urgent yipping of the dogs resounded across the fields towards the two vulpines, only slightly muffled by the vegetation they hid beneath. The vixen, straining her dark eyes, drew in a breath:
"They've got the terrier!听She'll find him"
"Not necessarily."
"This is all your fault."
"Hardly"
"I told you not to kill those two lambs, but, would you listen?听No, of course not, you're always right, take no notice of me"
"You enjoyed them. Meat increases your milk. What's the fuss?"
The vixen turned upon her mate and bit him hard on the rear leg. He retaliated violently. They scrapped together in the ditch, muddied, battered in bush debris, squashing cubs beneath them.听When booming human male voices joined canine baying, they fell apart, seizing their cubs before scurrying away. Later on, at the edge of a busy industrial estate, the dog fox waited in his skulking-place beneath a refuse skip, whingeing cubs at his nose.听He didn't move when his mate returned, dropping down onto her belly, panting, but asked her.
"Found anywhere?"
"A roundabout with thick cover.听It's on the Norton road."
"Not very private then." He commented, pressing back his ears.
"We're in town, you'll have to get used to that. How have the cubs been?"
"Fine."
"The whelps were crawling towards her, desperate for milk "have they had any solids?" she inquired.
"I regurgitated the last of the lamb, they loved it."
"You did chew it thoroughly first?"
"Of course I did.听What do you take me for?" He studied the she-fox for a moment, the cubs were suckling, pawing at her crossly:
"I 'm going听back听to look for the other one." he said. "Where will you be?"
"On the roundabout."As the male skulked away she called听after him "If he's听injured,听听 eat him." When the dog fox returned to the copse he scented the reek of man and听 dogs, so urinated in disgust on some fading bluebells.听On reaching the den, he knew at once the cub was gone. Fresh, soil travelled in a dark streak up the slope from the entrance.听 Short, white hairs scuffed on the portal, blobs of blood, tiny entrails.听He quickly consumed the remains, before听 hustling onward in search of a meal. It was several hours before the听fox returned to town.听A hungry owl, still looking for a kill, made a dive towards him for fun. He leapt upwards, lashing at it with one paw, before twisting down to land in a clump of nettles. When he noisily entered the den, scratching at his flank, his mate was angry:
"Now look - you've woken them!听I've only just got them down."
"Sorry."
"As he reached down to nuzzle her she began to urgently lick his mouth, wanting food and an answer:
"He wouldn't have suffered. The terrier is quick."
"Yes."
The vixen lay quietly for a while, resting her chin on the suckling cubs.听The dawn chorus had already begun when she skulked out.听听 It was late when she returned from her scavenge, the traffic was beginning to build up, and she only just managed to cross the road.听The driver of the fast white van sounded the horn vulgarly, narrowly missing her as she dived into the shrubbery.听The dog fox was on his haunches,听playfully mouth-sparring with the two excited cubs:
"You happy now you're home?"听听
"Much safer here."
"Safer? So, the cubs will get run over instead of shot or ripped by the dogs."
"Just remember, I was all against stalking those lambs" Ignoring this remark, he asked "What did you have to eat?"
"Some pizza, half a big mac.听Oh, yes, and a lick of a Mcflurry pot. Lovely." The dog fox sniffled his nose, scratched an ear quickly with a hind leg:
"not sure I can cope with all this听 traffic noise."听听
"You'll get used to it.听We'll move to somewhere better before the cubs get too adventurous" she replied, backing away from her harassing offspring. "Not happy about them eating junk food."
"There's always road-kill about, vermin to hunt in the park." He turned his back, then circled several times before finally lying down, wrapping his brush across his body to muffle warmth. She approached him hesitantly, then, when there was no aggressive response,听lay down against him.听Immediately, the two pups fell on her and began to guzzle.听Their father shifted his body, easing into the warmth of his pack:听
"The lambs were delicious. Perhaps in a day or two I could go back to the farm and........"
"Absolutely not."听 Vixen听began to wash her cubs indulgently.听It was so good to be back in town. |
