hite wool dresses, and all that, but honestly, I couldn't
remember that I cared particularly whether Amos Hurd was redeemed or
not; he was always lovely to children; while I never in all my life had
wanted anything worse than I wanted those foxes to save their skins. I
could hear them pant like run out dogs; and I could hear myself, and I
hadn't been driven from my home and babies, maybe--and chased miles and
miles, either.

Then I just shook. They came pounding, roaring and braying right
around the barn, and down the lane. The little door flew open and a
strange man stuck in his head.

"Shut that door!" I screamed. "You'll let them in on me, and they
bite! They're poison! They'll kill me!"

I hadn't even thought of it before.

"See any foxes?" cried the man.

"Two crossed our barnyard headed that way!" I cried back, pointing
east. "Shut the door!"

The man closed it and ran calling as he went: "It's all right! They
crossed the barnyard. We've got them!"

I began to dance and beat my hands, and then I stopped and held my
breath. They were passing, and the noise was dreadful. They struck
the sides of the barn, poked around the strawstack, and something made
me look up, and at the edge of the hay stood a fox ready to spring. If
it did, it would go from the door, right into the midst thereof.
Nothing but my red hood sailing straight at it, and a yell I have,
drove it back. No one hit the barn again, the line closed up, and went
on at a run now, they were so anxious to meet and see what they had.
Then came the beat of hoofs and I saw that all the riders had dropped
back, and were behind the line of people on foot. I watched Laddie as
he flew past waving to me, and I grabbed my scarf to wave at him. The
Princess flashed by so swiftly I couldn't see how she looked, and then
I heard a voice I knew cry: "Ep! Ep! Over Lad!" And I almost fell
dead where I stood. Mr. Pryor sailed right over the barnyard fence
into the cornfield, ripping that dumb-bell as he went, and neck and
neck, even with him, on one of his finest horses, was our Leon. His
feet were in the stirrups, he had the reins tight, he almost stood as
he arose, his face was crimson, his head bare, his white hair flying,
the grandest sight you ever saw. At the top of my voice I screamed
after them, "Ep! Ep! Over lad!" and then remembered and looked to see
if I had to chase back the foxes, but they didn't mind only me, after
what they had