Fox's Feud (14 page)

Scarface yelped with pain as Fox’s teeth sank into his lower leg and he tried desperately to shake him off. But Fox held fast, pinioning him to the ground and, as Scarface fell on his back trying to wrestle free, Fox transferred his grip to the other animal’s throat. To kill was not in Fox’s mind but he resolved to weaken Scarface so much so that he would be in no mood for fighting for long days to come. Even as Scarface struggled at his
mercy, Kestrel zoomed down with a message: ‘The Warden is coming this way.’

Fox maintained his advantage for a few moments longer and then loosened his grip. Scarface lay still, his breath whistling agonizingly through his open jaws. Fox saw the approaching human figure and then ran for Badger’s set. Ranger and the rest of the band had already dispersed. The Warden came up to the injured Scarface and bent to help him. As he did so, the animal made a feeble snap at his extended hand, rolled over on to his feet and limped away, his brush hanging in a dejected manner between his legs.

In the set Fox was greeted as a hero again. Most of the animals thought Scarface was dead.

‘I didn’t kill him,’ Fox said as he sat heavily down by Badger while Vixen carefully and soothingly licked his wounds.

‘Why not? Why not?’ cried Vole. ‘Let us finish him off now!’

‘The Warden came,’ Vixen explained quietly, pausing for a moment in her work. ‘But Scarface is defeated. He won’t be back.’

‘If he recovers he’ll be back,’ said Hedgehog pessimistically. ‘He’s as vindictive as a household cat!’

‘If he comes again, he’ll come alone,’ said Fox wearily. ‘His tribe’s heart is not in this business.’ He turned to Charmer. ‘Ranger has seen to that, I think,’ he added with a kind smile.

‘He won’t dare to come alone again,’ Badger said. ‘He met his match today.’

‘He has a few more scars to add to his collection as well,’ Bold said proudly. ‘Father, you were magnificent.’

‘Once again, Fox, your bravery has saved us all,’ said Weasel. ‘But it’s to be regretted you weren’t able to complete the job.’

‘Fox hasn’t the killer instinct,’ said Vole sourly, ‘yet he was quite content for Adder to do the work.’

‘It might be as well for us small creatures that he hasn’t,’ Fieldmouse admonished him, ‘else
we
wouldn’t be sitting here so comfortably in his presence now.’

Vole scowled at him but accepted his point.

‘Let’s get back to our normal lives,’ Fox said to them all. ‘We’ve been living a false existence. To my mind the threat of Scarface is over. We’ve skulked in his shadow long enough.’

‘Hear, hear,’ responded Mole politely. ‘He wounded me but
I’m
not afraid of him.’

All the animals laughed at this piece of absurdity and a new, more light-hearted mood prevailed.

‘Now will someone please go and release those poor rabbits,’ said Fox, ‘else they may never come out again.’

It was some days before Adder recovered sufficiently from his pains to go far from the hole that had saved his life. He was ignorant, of course, of Scarface’s attack on the Farthing Wood creatures and of his battle with Fox. So the snake maintained his seclusion in case Scarface might come again for him. He was not going to be caught napping a second time!

He managed to sunbathe in complete secrecy, and the warmth of the sun and what titbits of food he was able to catch were the best possible medicine for him. His shortened tail was soon completely healed. This restored most of his old self-confidence and he gradually ventured further afield.

It was about a week after Scarface’s raid that Adder
came into contact again with one of his old travelling companions. He was lying concealed by vegetation on the stream bank when he noticed Toad splashing about in the water. Now Adder would never have admitted to anyone that he had recently felt lonely and forgotten, but the sight of his old friend gladdened his scaly heart so much that he actually called out to Toad.

‘Hallo? Is that you, Adder?’ Toad answered, kicking his way to the bank. ‘Where are you?’

‘I’m over here,’ came the reply, and Adder showed just enough of himself for Toad to locate him.

‘Well, well, I haven’t seen you in an age!’ cried his friend.

‘No. You don’t come up this way much, I believe?’ said Adder.

‘Oh, I get around quite a lot in the course of my wanderings during the summer,’ Toad told him. ‘I saw Fox a day or so ago. It seems there was some sort of fight.’

‘Really?’ Adder replied non-committally, but he was, in fact, greatly interested.

‘Yes, between Fox and that scarfaced villain. Fox came off best, I’m glad to say, but not without his share of suffering.’

‘Is the – er – scarfaced fox dead?’ Adder enquired.

‘No, unfortunately.’

‘Ah, I’m glad of that,’ Adder hissed.

‘Glad?’ cried Toad. ‘How can you say that?’

‘Oh, I have an old score to settle,’ replied Adder nonchalantly, drawing the rest of his body into the open as he spoke.

‘Goodness me, Adder!’ Toad exclaimed. ‘Whatever’s happened to you?’

‘Quite a tale really,’ Adder punned sarcastically. ‘Scarface and I had – er – a difference of opinion.’

‘That menace has left his mark on too many of us for
my liking,’ said Toad angrily. ‘I understand Fox nearly killed him, but the Warden arrived on the scene just at that moment. Apparently Scarface made a raid with his subordinates with the idea of killing all the Farthing Wood animals.’

‘Fox was the hero once again, then,’ Adder surmised.

‘Yes. At any rate, he did enough damage to prevent Scarface from contemplating a second attack. But, Adder, tell me how you got mixed up with him?’

So Adder explained about the cubs’ mission to him and how he had bitten the wrong fox, so that Scarface had sought to avenge his death.

‘It sounds to me as if you were selected as a sort of weapon,’ observed Toad. ‘I’m surprised at Fox.’

‘It was my fault, to be honest,’ Adder admitted. ‘I was supposed to strike at Scarface himself.’

‘Well, you’ve certainly paid the price for it.’

‘I have. And no one has been to inquire if I am still alive,’ Adder said bitterly.

‘Then they don’t know about your scrap?’

‘Oh no. I’m just left to myself, you know.’

‘Well, Adder, you always liked to live like that before,’ Toad reminded him.

But Adder ignored the remark. ‘They
will
hear of me when I’ve done what I mean to do,’ he said enigmatically.

‘Er – you won’t do anything you’ll regret later, will you?’ Toad asked apprehensively, wondering if Adder contemplated some sort of punishment for his friends’ negligence.

‘Oh no. I shan’t regret it,’ answered Adder with a secret smile. ‘I shan’t regret it at all.’

Toad looked a little uncomfortable. ‘I suppose you – um – don’t feel disposed to enlarge a little on your plan?’ he asked warily.

‘As a matter of fact, my dear Toad,’ said Adder
smoothly, ‘it’s a plan that will be realized in your own natural element – water.’

‘Water? Are you going to swim somewhere, Adder?’

‘I can reveal no more at this stage,’ the snake answered. ‘But, rest assured, you will hear it all eventually.’

Toad knew Adder would be questioned no further, so he returned to the subject of the snake’s tail. ‘I really am most upset to see you in this state,’ he said kindly. ‘Is the wound very painful?’

‘Not any more, thank you for asking,’ said Adder, ‘apart from the occasional throb when I move. I’m only glad that, like you, I haven’t the nervous system of a mammal. I’m told they feel things so much more
deeply
.’

Toad nodded. ‘Well, if there’s anything I can do . . .’ he began.

‘No, no,’ Adder interrupted. ‘Please don’t trouble yourself about me. But – er – if you are ever inclined to bring yourself to this vicinity of the Park again, I shall be – er – naturally – er – well, delighted.’

‘I shall certainly do so,’ Toad said warmly, feeling highly honoured by the snake’s uncharacteristic approach to friendliness. ‘Goodbye for now, Adder, and – take care!’ With a couple of kicks from his back legs he launched himself into the stream’s current. Soon he was lost to sight as he let himself be carried downstream.

Adder went back into hiding to review his plan for the hundredth time.

Further downstream Whistler and his mate were dozing on their stiltlike legs in the shallows. It was the arrival of Toad in the form of a soft bump against his leg that caused the heron to wake up.

‘Why, Toad!’ exclaimed Whistler. ‘I might have eaten you!’

But Toad was not fooled. He knew that only frogs,
rather than toads, were palatable to the heron when he could not get fish.

‘How pleasant to see you and your charming companion,’ Toad said politely. ‘You both look in the pink of health.’

‘Yes, we certainly cannot complain,’ Whistler replied. ‘We eat well and we keep out of danger.’

‘I wish the same could be said of our friend I’ve just left,’ remarked Toad.

‘Who might that be?’

‘Adder. He’s in a very sorry state.’

Whistler looked puzzled. ‘I’m surprised to hear that,’ he said. ‘But do explain, Toad.’

So, just as Toad had related the details of Fox’s fight with Scarface to the snake, he now described Adder’s unfortunate encounter.

Whistler listened with a look of concern. ‘I deeply regret the fact that no one’s been near him,’ he said afterwards. ‘I, for one, would certainly have done so had I known he was close at hand – and hurt into the bargain.’

‘Well,’ said Toad, ‘I never expected to say this of Adder, but I think his feelings have been more hurt by Scarface than his body.’

‘I shall go and see Fox and the others and get them all to atone for their neglect,’ said the heron.

Toad thought for a moment. ‘No, I wouldn’t do that,’ he advised. ‘Adder won’t take kindly to a mass demonstration of sympathy. It would only embarrass him.’

‘Yes, I see,’ said Whistler. ‘But he wouldn’t object, I hope, if I paid him a visit?’

‘I’m sure he wouldn’t,’ said Toad. ‘But it may not be easy to find him. He’s got some important idea he’s mulling over and he is keeping himself to himself.’

After a pause Whistler observed: ‘You know that Scarface has been more of a threat to us all than the rest of the animals in the Park put together. He’s killed or wounded quite a number of our community. While he remains alive he remains a threat.’

‘If only Fox had been able to remove that threat,’ Toad said feelingly.

‘Yes, I fear we haven’t seen the last of him,’ Whistler replied in his lugubrious tones. ‘Oh, I’m sure if more of you had done what I have, we shouldn’t have experienced all this trouble!’

‘What do you mean – paired ourselves off?’ enquired Toad.

‘Exactly. If more of us could have mated with those already in the Park – why, there would have been no need for these imaginary barriers and boundaries that seem to exist. But I beg your pardon, Toad, I’m forgetting – you
did
find a partner, didn’t you?’

‘Yes – Paddock,’ Toad answered, smiling a little self-consciously.

‘But where is she now? Have you deserted her?’

‘Oh, we amphibians only come together in the spring,’ Toad explained. ‘Once the females have left their spawn in the water we go our separate ways. But that’s not to say we won’t meet again next year,’ he added mischievously.

Whistler laughed. ‘Well, I think I prefer a more long-lasting relationship,’ he said. ‘But – each of us to our own, I suppose, Toad.’

‘Yes, indeed,’ he replied. ‘But there’s a lot in what you say and, while we’re on the subject of romance, I hear from Fox that Charmer has attracted some interest from a cub in the enemy camp.’

‘Is that so?’ Whistler shook his head as he pondered Toad’s words. ‘Well,’ he said, ‘if that develops it might, perhaps, hold some hope for us all in the future.’

The ‘romance’ that Toad had referred to was certainly developing and now Fox and Vixen encouraged it. After Ranger’s sensitivity at his father’s attack on the Farthing Wood creatures, Fox had learnt more from Charmer of how he had tried to forestall Scarface’s aggressive intentions.

The two cubs now hunted together nightly and in this way news from each camp was exchanged and spread around. Ranger reported on his father’s recovery and the opinions current amongst his other relatives, while Charmer told him of the feelings of her own friends. It seemed that neither side wanted a renewal of hostilities, but the one unknown factor was Scarface himself.