by Colin Dann
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.
‘What mood is your father in?’ Charmer asked one night when Ranger had told her he was moving about again.
‘He’s very quiet,’ he answered. ‘Almost subdued. My mother has had to catch him his food and I think he feels degraded. He must have hated being so helpless.’
‘He ought to be grateful to her,’ Charmer retorted.
Ranger smiled thinly. ‘Gratitude is not in my father’s line of behaviour,’ he answered. ‘It’s more than likely he feels resentment.’
‘Does anyone dare to tell him how they feel?’ she asked.
‘Not as yet,’ Ranger admitted a little shamefacedly. ‘But I know he would never be able to organize an attack again.’
‘That’s good news anyway.’
‘But I’m afraid you can’t rule out his doing something on his own when he’s out and about again.’
Charmer smiled to herself. ‘What a difference between your father and mine,’ she murmured. ‘Scarface would never have spared my father if he had had the advantage in that fight.’
Ranger shook his head sadly. ‘I can’t deny it,’ he said. ‘Oh, I’m so tired of all this!’ he cried suddenly. ‘Why can’t we just live our own life?’
‘But we can,’ said Charmer sweetly. ‘What’s to stop us?’
‘Oh, he’d cause trouble for us,’ Ranger said angrily. ‘Can you see him allowing me to choose for my mate a cub of his enemy’s?’
‘I don’t see how he could stop you,’ Charmer answered. ‘The Reserve is large and we could make our home well away from any other creature.’
‘Wherever it was, it wouldn’t be far enough away,’ Ranger said bitterly. ‘We’d have to go right outside the Park boundaries.’
‘If it should prove necessary, then so be it,’ said Charmer.
Ranger looked at her in astonishment. ‘Do you mean that?’ he asked her.
‘Of course. My future lies with you.’
‘Then when shall we go?’ he cried.
‘We don’t yet know if it will be necessary,’ she said smoothly. ‘Let’s be patient.’
They walked together through the woodland, a cool night breeze caressing their fur and murmuring softly to itself in the tree-tops. The Park seemed so peaceful to them then.
‘It would be a shame to leave the place we were both born in,’ Charmer said presently. ‘Perhaps we’re getting too pessimistic.’
‘I’d like to think so,’ answered her admirer. ‘It would be nice to bring a third generation into the world here.’
They passed out of the wood into the open grassland. The White Deer herd roamed, ghostlike, through the foreground. The Great Stag stood alone on a slight rise, his graceful neck stretched upward as he browsed from a willow tree. He turned his head slowly as he detected the two fox cubs, now very nearly fully grown, moving towards him. He spoke to them.
‘You make a heartening sight after the conflicts this Park has seen recently,’ he said. ‘Let your generation not recall the ill feeling of their predecessors.’
Ranger and Charmer exchanged affectionate glances. ‘We see no reason to carry on the quarrel,’ said the male cub.
‘Very sensible,’ nodded the Stag. ‘This Park was reserved as a quiet haven by humans for wild creatures. It would be a pity to destroy their ideals.’
‘Your words would carry more weight if delivered to my father,’ Ranger said with remarkable honesty. ‘For months he’s been possessed by a consuming jealousy that has caught up many other creatures against their will, and I’m afraid it’s blinding him to any other consideration.’
‘I shall see if I can speak to him,’ the Great Stag offered. ‘In the meantime I wish you both well.’
The two foxes ran on, joyful in each other’s company. For the present, anyway, they were able to enjoy the freedom of the Park. They raced together across the open expanse, exulting in the looseness of their young limbs. Then they chased each other in and out of the bracken, calling to each other excitedly.
Some distance away, Bold watched their antics. Despite Fox’s change of heart, the cub did not approve of Ranger’s friendship with his sister and he scowled. To him Ranger was merely Scarface’s cub and should be treated as such. He was privately furious with his father for allowing their enemy to live and longed for the day when he could fight Scarface and become the new hero. Ranger and Charmer ran towards him and he greeted them half-heartedly.
‘You’re spending a lot of time together,’ he remarked sourly.
‘There’s no one I’d rather spend my time with than your sister,’ Ranger told him gallantly.
‘So I see,’ Bold answered. ‘She seems to think more of you than her own family.’
‘Oh, Bold, don’t be silly,’ said Charmer. ‘I can’t stay with my family for ever. Ranger is my future. You and Friendly ought to find yourselves some nice young vixen cubs and make your own lives.’
‘There’s such a thing as a family sticking together in times of trouble,’ Bold said roughly.
‘Maybe one way of avoiding trouble would be if you started to mix a little with my family,’ Ranger suggested, in a way echoing Whistler’s words.
‘I could never have anything in
common with any relative of Scarface,’ Bold retorted.
‘Don’t be so pompous, Bold,’ Charmer told him.
‘Can’t you forget my father?’ asked Ranger. ‘We’re not all like him, you know.’
‘But I remember how you all ganged up on me at his bidding,’ Bold answered angrily, ‘how you trapped me and stood guard over me. I was lucky to get away.’
Ranger sighed. ‘There’s such a thing as forgiving and forgetting,’ he said. ‘Things are different now.’
‘Are they?’ sneered Bold. ‘For how long? 1 wonder. Until your father feels he is fit enough to attack us all again?’
‘But, Bold, none of us would go with him next time. He couldn’t do much on his own.’
‘A fox can do quite a lot against hares and rabbits or – or – moles,’ spluttered Bold.
‘The Great Stag has promised to pay him a visit,’ Charmer said quietly, ‘in the interests of all.’
‘I’m sure he’ll listen!’ snapped Bold sarcastically, turning his back. He began to walk away. ‘He really paid him heed last time!’ he called over his shoulder.
‘Oh dear,’ said Ranger. ‘We shall never get on while this animosity continues.’
‘Pay no attention to him,’ Charmer said soothingly. ‘He won’t do anything.’
‘He sounds as bitter as my father sometimes,’ Ranger muttered. ‘I don’t understand him.’
‘I think he’s a bit envious of us,’ said his companion.
‘Well then, he should take my advice. I’ve got some lovely sisters!’
Charmer laughed, and Ranger followed suit. ‘Oh, let’s forget them all!’ he cried. ‘While we’re together we only have to think of each other.’ He bounded off. ‘Catch me!’ he called back.
The Great Stag did not at once carry out his intended visit, and the delay proved Bold’s words to be prophetic. It transpired that Scarface had only been biding his time while something like his old strength returned to him. Then, in an excess of spite, unaccompanied and unexpected, he hunted the more defenceless Farthing Wood creatures. Fieldmouse was killed, along with several of his near relatives, and his cousin Vole, while having a narrow escape himself, saw his mate and all but one of his small family slaughtered. The only other survivor was, unluckily, also a male.
Before the news of the night’s killings had been broken, Scarface had added to his toll, in the early morning, four rabbits, three of which were inexperienced kits, and a young squirrel. With a sort of fiendish appetite, the killer had eaten all the dead mice and voles and one of the rabbits, and those he was unable to consume he carried away, one by one, and hid in a gorse patch. Only the body of the dead squirrel was left as a sign, as Scarface returned home.
Since Fox’s triumph over him, the nightly watch had been lifted and so, when the dreadful tidings spread to his den he fell into an agony of self-blame.
Rabbit, Vole and Squirrel arrived at the earth in the utmost distress which had an underlying current of anger. Anger at Scarface but, in Vole’s case in particular, anger at Fox as well.
‘You should have killed him, Fox!’ Vole almost screamed at him. ‘I knew it was wrong to spare him! Now see how I’ve suffered. My poor family . . .’ He broke off, inconsolable.
‘You were right. He came alone,’ said Bold. ‘But the cowardice, the vindictiveness of such a creature doesn’t entitle him to live!’
‘My life is over,’ wailed Vole. ‘There are no female voles left. I must now eke out my days alone. And you had it in your power to secure our safety for good!’
‘Fox was interrupted by the Warden,’ Vixen said defensively.
‘No . . . no . . . he’s right,’ Fox said brokenly. ‘I could have done it. I could have done it,’ he ended in a whisper.
Outside the earth the rest of the community was gathering as the events became common knowledge. Badger came into the den. ‘Now he has to die,’ he said in a hard voice. ‘Let us go and finish the job, Fox.’
‘Oh, where was the Stag?’ cried Charmer. ‘He was to have stopped all this!’
‘Scarface listens to nothing but his own evil heart,’ Bold answered her. ‘I told you how it would be.’
‘Yes, yes,’ moaned Fox. ‘I’ve become too soft. I killed my friends as much as he did.’ He hung his head in despair.
‘You weren’t to know, you weren’t to know,’ Vixen kept repeating to him, sharing his agony in every degree.
‘But I should have known,’ he muttered. ‘It was my duty. Oh, that wicked, wicked creature!’ He stumbled out into the open air, followed by the others. All the rest of the animals were there, save for Adder. Even Toad was among them.
‘Weren’t you anywhere around, Owl?’ Rabbit demanded. ‘Couldn’t you have done something?’
Tawny Owl resettled his wings and looked away uncomfortably. ‘Er – no,’ he said. ‘I’m afraid I was in another quarter.’
‘What protection have we, then?’ shrilled Vole. ‘We’re sitting targets, it seems!’
‘Well, you see, Vole,’ Tawny Owl muttered apologetically, ‘I – er – naturally don’t hunt on my own home front, so to speak. Accidents might occur and – well, the sentry duty seemed to have been lifted – ’
‘Accidents!’ broke in Squirrel. ‘How would you describe these killings then?’
‘They certainly weren’t accidents, Squirrel,’ said Hedgehog. ‘This was planned vindictiveness. I knew this might happen . . .’
‘Who cares what you know?’ snapped Vole. ‘All the warnings in the world have had no effect.’
‘I suppose anything I do is too late now,’ whispered Fox. ‘I can’t bring those poor dead creatures back. But will you let me try to make atonement?’ He looked beseechingly at the three bereaved animals. ‘I’d like to go alone,’ he said, and everyone knew what he was referring to. ‘No danger must attach to any of you again – not now . . .’
There was a stirring of sympathy for Fox at these words and Mole, typically, started to sob.
‘We’ve all suffered for the loss of any one of us,’ said Hare. ‘The blame can’t be put on any one animal’s shoulders.’
‘Quite right,’ said Weasel. ‘Why should Fox put himself in this position? We are in danger of forgetting that he and Vixen were the first to be deprived of a member of their family.’
‘In my opinion,’ said Whistler slowly, ‘this whole sorry saga might never have taken place if we hadn’t isolated ourselves in the first place. We came to live in the Reserve. We should have mingled more with those already here of our own kind.’
‘Wise words, Whistler,’ Badger conceded. ‘We’ve made the error of trying to build ourselves a new Farthing Wood inside the Park.’
‘Wise words they may be,’ said Weasel, ‘but wise after the event.’
Whistler shook his head in his solemn way. ‘I did recommend you all to follow my example long ago,’ he said, ‘but, so far, only Toad has done so.’
‘After my own fashion, yes,’ Toad said quickly.
‘Perhaps, then, this is the signal for the future?’ suggested Hare. ‘I myself must choose another mate from among the White Deer Park does, if I wish to be paired again.’
‘There’s a lot of sense in the idea,’ said Vixen, looking at Charmer. ‘We must try and become now, like those who were already here, the Animals of White Deer Park.’
Fox looked at her in admiration. ‘Of all now present, I alone found my partner on our journey here,’ he said. ‘I couldn’t have hoped to find a better one in this Park. But my family can be party to this excellent plan and one of them – I think most of you know who – is already carrying it out.’
‘Ranger!’ said Bold scathingly. ‘A cub produced by our mutual enemy!’
Charmer looked at him with pain in her eyes. ‘If you think he wouldn’t deplore these killings as much as we all do, you don’t know him!’ she said bravely.
The other animals murmured together. There seemed to be mixed feelings about this proposed alliance. Kestrel seemed to s
um up the situation when he asked: ‘In the light of Charmer’s relationship with this Ranger, who may well have a good heart, how can we stand here plotting to kill his father?’
Fox looked at the hawk pensively. ‘It’s a valid point,’ he said. ‘That may have been at the back of my mind when I spared him before.’
‘And so we have lost our loved ones for the sake of a strange cub!’ said Vole bitterly.
Whistler came to Fox’s rescue. ‘Scarface and his tribe have always hunted here,’ he pointed out sedately. ‘Lives could have been lost anyway by the usual law of the wild.’
‘Yes,’ said Hare. ‘We rodents must always run the gauntlet of death whenever there are carnivorous animals around. One of my leverets was killed last winter by a creature from the Reserve.’
‘A stoat,’ said Badger. ‘One that I once had words with myself. Yes. One can’t go against nature.’
‘Then what of Scarface now?’ demanded Rabbit. ‘Is he still to be allowed to live on?’
There was a long silence. No one wanted to be the first to speak. At last Fox said: ‘I’ll be advised by the Great Stag. Are you content to be so?’
None of the animals seemed prepared to argue, not even Vole.
‘Then it’s settled. I’ll go now and tell him of the night’s events. He is the acknowledged overlord of the Park. It must rest with him.’
‘And how can we defend ourselves in the meantime?’ Squirrel wanted to know.
‘It’s easy for tree climbers like you,’ said Rabbit. ‘But for Vole and myself . . .’
‘Stay together here, all of you,’ said Fox, ‘while I pay my call. I’ll be back just as swiftly as I can. You’ll be quite safe in a bunch.’
He loped off, leaving Badger and Vixen in nominal charge. He was not long gone, and when the animals had debated at length what the Stag had agreed to do, they were astonished by the arrival of an exhausted Adder who brought them information none of them had expected.
After his talk with Toad, Adder had decided it was time to put his plan into effect. In a way he was thankful for his solitude, for it would enable him to act without the threat of interference. But before he could do anything he needed to see that Scarface was up and about again. Keeping close to the stream, he coiled himself amongst the willow-herb and watched the comings and goings along the banks. One day he caught a water-shrew but, apart from that, he ate nothing. Then came the night of Scarface’s solo raid.
