Chapter 2

"Wow, I had forgotten!" Andy said as he, Todd, Amos Slade and Widow Tweed all entered the fair grounds and Andy glanced around. The Widow Tweed was with them since Amos and the widow had been unable to settle the issue of who Andy should go to the fair with, between Amos being the boy's mentor and Widow Tweed the one who was giving him room and board. In the end, Andy's presence had forced the two neighbors to go in each other company despite what they personally felt about the issue. Todd found it quite amusing in a guilty way.

Andy's excitement over the fair may not have been completely logical, actually, some of the things which before Andy had found enchanting as an eleven year old now looked completely hokey, but that still didn't kill the wonder a fair is able to put on people, wonder which Andy was now feeling yet again. Todd grinned over at his friend, "Still cool despite the years aye?" he asked.

Among the dogs, Chipi and Clover both strained to look all ways at once, wide childish grins of joy on their face. "I've never smelled so much fried food in my life!" Clover said. "Yeah I know, it's almost overpowering!" Chipi replied, "and look at the millions of tents, no telling what they all hold!". Copper smiled down at the two puppies' eagerness.

"So, What do we do first" Clover asked excitedly. Chipi grinned, then glancing back she walked both her and Clover farther away from where Chief stood next to Copper. "First we have to find Binx and Midnight" she whispered back over to the Setter pup, "then we go have fun, with Mr. Copper escorting us".

Clover nodded, "Oh right. Gee, the four of us running around a fair, there's a million things we can do, and half of them actually don't sound like good ideas!" he finished.

"Oh I'm sure Binx will take full charge of the 'not good ideas' activities" Chipi replied, just as Copper walked over to fulfill his promise of escorting them around. He caught this last sentence and grimaced slightly in good humor, "I just hope Binx doesn't come up with half the ideas his father was prone to think up, otherwise I'm going to have a hard time keep up with you little tumbleweeds" he said. Clover turned to the hound dog at this sentence, "What kinds of things would Binx's dad come up with when yall were little?" he asked.

Copper just shook his head with a grin, as if to say don't ask. "Ok, let's go find Binx and Midnight" Chipi said, and she and Clover began to try and walk off. Copper looked about to say something, and Chipi had been just wondering why he wasn't following when both of these things made more sense as their Masters' leashes halted Chipi and Clover from going anywhere. At feeling the tug, Andy and Todd both glanced over to their respective puppy.

"Easy girl" Andy told Chipi with a smile, "We'll get to the fun soon enough; but first don't you want to go see Copper and Chief's hunting competition?". Amos turned to the teen at his words, "Actually, the competition is still a ways off, might as well let the pups get their energy out in the meantime". Andy nodded, at these words, Chipi turned a questioning glance to Copper. The young hound just smiled and motioned to her to wait a bit, he would let them know when the perfect sneaking off angle came.

"Well you boys will excuse me if I don't attend this macho male assertion through their dogs, but I have a pie to get to the judging table" The Widow Tweed said, speaking to Andy and Todd and only commenting about and to Amos in passing. The old hunter frowned at the comment though, and the widow just smirked as she walked off over to where the pie contest was held.

While watching this, Todd leaned over and whispered to Andy, "Ya know, I think they only do this because they secretly enjoy messing with each other and causing those displeased facial expressions" he said. Andy smirked and nodded, "Yeah, I agree" he whispered back, "it's like a love hate relationship". The two teens then chuckled, careful to keep their voices down from the two bickering adults.

While the two teens were thus engrossed in their humorous observations, Chipi and Clover used the opportunity to each help the other slip out of their collars. Copper also watched his own master's actions, and as both Amos and Chief turned their attention to the Widow, Amos apparently intent on not leaving the Widow's words as the last shot, the young hound used a technique of his own he'd learned and inconspicuously slipped his collar strap out of Amos' hand without either the hunter himself or Chief noticing.

He then motioned to the two puppies and all three of them snuck off. Once they were all three safely away from their Masters, the puppies turned to Copper. "Thanks again for coming to help out Mr. Copper" Chipi said. The hound smiled, "Oh, you heard my master, the competition won't be for a while, so it's the least I can do" he said.

"Well, let's help you out by unhooking that leash" Clover said, "after all it's not going to help us out much if you keep tripping over your own leash". Copper laughed, "No I suppose it won't" he replied. Clover then motioned for the hound to bend down and hit the leash latch with his tiny little claws, next pulling it out of the hook, completely and neatly unlatching the leash from Copper's collar. "Wow" Chipi said, watching this, "you're like a perfect escape artists!".

Clover grinned embarrassed, "Not really. Anything else I can't help with" he replied. Chipi laughed, "Ok, well let's go get Binx and Midnight" she said. The two puppies then took off with Copper following. "So, do their parents know they're coming over here?" Copper asked, suddenly thinking about such. Chipi shrugged, "Probably not. It wouldn't surprise me if they just snuck off without bothering with explaining it to their parents".

Copper nodded, his doubts about this whole thing growing as they continued along, yet he'd promised and something told the hound that the kids would do better with him watching out for them than left to their own devices.