Chipi frowned as she tugged and pulled on the rope that was tied to the same loop in Copper's barrel as the older dog's rope. "I don't get it" the puppy said, as she continued to tug, "Why am I being punished?". Copper laughed, "Chipi, you're not being punished" he said, "Your master just tied you there while he's visiting with our master because he's a bit paranoid after loosing you yesterday". Chipi continued to tug on the rope during Copper's explination.
"But--I--I have ta go to the hill!" she said, "I told them!". Chief raised his head from where he was laying within his barrel, "Told who?" he asked, confused since he didn't think Chipi went enough places to have that many acquaintances. "Told my friends" Chipi replied, still tugging on the rope, "and if I don't show up they won't like me no more!". Chief and Copper laughed slightly.
"Now Chipi" Copper said, "If me or Chief were late for something, you wouldn't stop liking us, would ya?" he asked. Chipi paused and shook her head, "No, never!" she said. Copper smiled, "and why not?" he asked. "Cause I know you wouldn't mean it" Chipi said. Copper nodded, "Right, and I know you well enough ta know that anyone who knows you for even a day knows you wouldn't just ignore them purposefully" he finished. Chipi smiled, "Well--maybe" she said hesitantly.
"Besides" Chief piped in, "Puppies don't put a lot of stock into how many times you show up for a play date, they's just happy ta see ya when they do". Chipi looked confused for a bit, before what Chief meant registered with her, he was talking about her friends; He thought they were a group of puppies. "Oh, they're not--" Chipi began, but suddenly she was interrupted by the front door of Amos' cabin swinging open.
"Now you come on back here" Amos said as he walked out of the cabin with Andy following, "and we'll use the old can's on a fence trick to tune up some of your firin' skills". Chipi sighed as she watched her master and Amos walked around the back of the cabin. "My master's never gonna leave, which means I'm never gettin' off this thing!" she complained.
Copper gave the puppy a sympathetic look. "Well, look at it this way" Chief said as he laid his head back down, "Ya get to hang out with us more.
"Ha, what'd I tell ya" Scuff said, turning to the others, "We been waiting here almost all day and no sign of her, I told ya those thing weren't to be trusted--why it goes back to what my grandpa told me--". From his position on the top of the hill where he had been scouting the area, Binx suddenly turned to face Scuff, "Hush up Scuff!" he shouted. Midnight looked shocked at Binx's harsh tone.
Scuff looked shocked at first as well, but then frowned, "I was just sayin'--" he began, but Binx cut him off again, "I know what you were "just sayin' " and I'm tellin' ya Chipi's not like that, she wouldn't just desert us!" he said. The fox turned to scan the area from the top of the hill once more. "Well--what d'ya think's the matter then?" Midnight asked. Binx shook his head, "I don't know, but she's in some kind of trouble!".
With that said, the young fox bounded down off of the small hill. "Oh, now where are you going?" Scuff asked annoyed. Binx didn't even turn to look at him, "I'm gonna go down to that yellow farm house and see if I can figure out what happened to Chipi to delay her" he said. "She said to meet her here on this hill, but if something happened--I just wanna check".
Binx looked down from the hill they were on overlooking the Widow Tweed's farm house and Amos Slade's place. the young fox got a rough barring of where the yellow farm house was and then dashed down off the hill and began rushing off through the woods in that direction.
Scuff and Midnight watched as Binx rushed off. The badger crossed his arms, "Well, I'm certainly not gonna rush out to who knows what" he declared, "I'm stayin here!". Midnight looked unable to decide what he wanted to do for a bit as he glanced back in the direction Binx had rushed off in. Then he quickly tagged along after. Scuff rolled his eyes and remained where he was. Let those two kill themselves if they wanted.
Binx continued making his way through the forest until he finally came to a fence and peered over into--a yard that diffidently didn't belong to the place his father had showed him. He had ended up in front of Amos Slades' place.
With a sigh, Binx glanced around the yard, wondering how he could have judged the distance so wrongly, when he suddenly spotted Chipi over near one of the barrels, and she was resting in-between the paws of a huge dog! The young fox's eyes went wide and he suddenly got a look of determination as it became apparent that Chipi was in trouble and needed his help! Slowly Binx began to creep out closer to the barrel where Copper and Chipi were resting side by side.