Рита Браун: Out Of Hounds

Looking up, Sister said, “Well, it is, but the temperature is in our favor.”

“You were wise to take the pack out today. Who is to say what further measures will be ordered. And we are all at least six feet away, with less than ten people.”

“No one knows what they are doing. That’s how it looks to me. Then again, it is a newer kind of virus. But every TV channel or app one looks at gives confusing information. I’m shutting it out. I believe the social distancing will help, but all these predictions, how can you predict something you’ve never experienced?”

“Depends on how much the network is paying you.” Gray felt Cardinal Wolsey play with his bit. “Ready?”

“Of course.” She popped over the jump in the fence line near Tootie’s cottage.

Thimble, glistening today, her coat shining, walked with determination. Her littermates, all out today, followed her, as did the youngsters of the “B” line and the “J” line. The “T” line wasn’t that many years older than the first-year hounds.

Trooper shifted to the north slightly. He paused. Walked a bit faster, then his tail flipped.

Sister noticed his stern as she watched to see if any other hounds drifted his way. They can see a stern as easily as a human. All moved fairly close together.

“Aunt Netty.” Trooper identified the old line.

Bachelor hurried over. He took one big whiff, his eyes bright. “A red fox.”

“A nasty vixen,” Thimble informed him. “All right, you two. Let me sing first.”

Thimble let out a lovely deep baying note, followed by Trooper and Bachelor, so excited it sounded like a squawk.

“Calm down, boy. You sound like a mouse,” Trooper teased him. “Take a deep breath. Do it again.”

“Fox.” Bachelor lowered his voice as the pack hurried over to the three hounds, trotting now.

“Aunt Netty,” Zane called.

Everyone was on the line now but it wasn’t yet so hot that they were screaming.

Weevil rode behind, gave an encouraging shout as his whippers-in moved slightly in front of him on their respective sides. One of the good things about starting the cast in the big meadow was one could see.

Hounds picked up speed, as did the humans. Horses’ ears flicked forward, spirits rose.

Weevil, first over the hog’s back jump, a jump he quite liked…one can grow weary of coops…surged into the woods. The sound grew louder. Hounds ran faster.

Sure enough, Aunt Netty headed toward her den. She was far ahead but as hounds closed, her scent intensified. The old girl, irritated at hearing the hounds, put on the turbocharger, zipped to Pattypan Forge. The terrain favored her. Within minutes she slid into her den. Of course, the hounds would come to her door. Bother.

As the clouds lowered the light grew fainter inside Pattypan Forge. Hounds roared in, surrounded one of Aunt Netty’s den entrances.

“Go away,” Aunt Netty growled.

“That wasn’t a long run,” Aero complained.

“It’s not my job to entertain you,” she called back.

Weevil dismounted, walked to the den. He noticed hounds weren’t digging. Well, Aunt Netty pulled the same tricks over and over again.

“Come along.” He turned to walk back outside, noticed an old wrench on the floor.

Odds and ends, not many, for the space was vast and its abandonment occurred decades ago. Some bits of wheel, nuts and bolts were scattered but not much. Once this space housed a large forge plus a smaller one with coal dumped in a huge pile by the coal chute. The forge teamed with activity.

Hounds turned as Dreamboat gave a passing shot. “One of these days.”

“Dream on,” she barked from her den.

Once outside, Weevil mounted, Showboat being held by Tootie.

He looked at his beautiful whipper-in and asked, “What about casting to the Old Lorillard place? We can take the long way back if we don’t find.”

“Sure.”

He headed in that direction. Betty was already on the road. Sister and Gray brought up the rear.

Noses down, hounds worked. The trail, narrow, meant ducking every now and then to spare yourself a whack from a low-hanging branch.

Cardinal Wolsey warned Aztec, “Someone’s behind us.”

As horses have almost three-sixty-degree vision, Aztec replied, “I don’t see anything but I can hear a crunch now.”

Weevil tooted the horn up ahead. As he did so a black-clad figure, lumberjack cap pulled down and a black virus mask over his face, even over his nose, stepped behind Gray, ran alongside, and pulled him off Cardinal Wolsey.

“Aztec.”

Aztec slowed but Sister tried to urge him on.

The black-clad man pulled a gun, pointing it at Gray’s head.

Sister turned to say something to Gray. He wasn’t there. He always kept up. She knew he didn’t fall off or she would have heard.

Stopping, she listened then turned just in case there was a strange accident and he was knocked out. She soon saw Gray, gun to his head, standing on the ground with Cardinal Wolsey at his side.

Curious, Aunt Netty emerged from her den to peep out of one of the long windows. She crept out of the forge and hid in the bushes so she could watch. She knew who Sister was. The human put food out once every two weeks for her. Aunt Netty didn’t much mind that Sister hunted her on horseback. After all, humans are inept.

The old red vixen also knew what a gun was. Lifting her head back she yodeled as loud as she could. “Hounds, come back. Come back now.”

Trident, bringing up the rear, heard this, as did Aero. “Diana, Diana, turn back.”

Diana stopped, as did the pack. They could just hear Aunt Netty calling. “Come back. Come back.”

“She’s crazy.” Giorgio moved forward.

“No, she’s not. Let’s go. Something’s not right.” Diana turned.

Running now, the pack moved back toward the forge. Weevil had no choice but to turn with them. Tootie and Betty also turned. No one knew what was going on but hounds were now in full cry.

“Goddammit, I’ll shoot those worthless curs,” a familiar voice cursed.

“Carter.” Sister was aghast.

“The same.” He executed a mock bow, never taking the gun off Gray.

Aunt Netty showed herself as she moved back toward the forge. Sister saw her, as did Gray. Carter did not, but hounds were closing.

Hounds jumped into the forge. Weevil quickly rode up behind. Carter took a shot at him through the closest window, which creased his left coat arm. Weevil flung himself on the ground.

“Tootie, Betty, keep away. Someone’s got a gun on Gray and Sister!”

Weevil next dove through a window as Carter fired again. The bullet ricocheted off the stone walls.

Betty, hearing the shot, dismounted, started creeping toward the forge. Tootie, on the other side, did the same. Neither woman had a .38 but each had a pistol with rat shot and each carried her pistol, not knowing the other woman was doing likewise. Tootie also carried her crop. The shots heightened their senses.

Weevil, back flat against the inside wall, slowly moved toward a faraway window. His idea was to climb out and then go around the forge to see if there was a way to disarm whoever that was.

Carter knew he couldn’t walk Sister and Gray out now that Weevil was there with the pack. He’d have to shoot them all.

Betty could now see Sister and Gray held at gunpoint. She knew the pack was in the forge. Tootie, on the far side of the forge, could make out through the windows that Sister and Gray were standing still. She saw Weevil inside. She stepped through a window. He put his finger to his lips.