"Young man, is this your dog or not!" Joe asked, holding Chipi out towards Andy by her collar, silencing the protests the teen had been trying to form in a half stuttering dialect. His friend was over near the porch in a seemingly casual conversation with Amos, yet the conversation soon began to take on more characteristics of an interrogation rather than a normal conversation. Amos narrowed his eyes, "What'd ya mean how many times have I been out into that neck of the woods?" he asked suspiciously. The ranger leaned forward, "Just answer the question Mr. Slade".
Andy meanwhile, was dealing with is own questioning. "Well--well yes" he said, admitting that Chipi was indeed his dog. "but I swear I wasn't hunting around the game preserve!" the teen added, "Chipi just must have wandered off, you know puppies". Joe didn't seem to be buying it. "Son, in my experience ninety percent of the time dogs are found wandering a specific area, they aren't just exploring" he stated in a no nonsense manner, "They were sent! and the percentage is even less concerning those who have game animals cornered yet refrain from attacking them".
"I didn't send her anywhere!" Andy said, "honest!". Joe narrowed his eyes, "are you aware rangers are employed as official peace keepers?" he asked, "lying to us is a serious offence!". Andy sighed, this was their justice system! Joe shook his head at the teen, "Look, kid, I aint gonna exactly press charges on a first offence with no red handed proof, I'm just sayin' this is a warning and you shouldn't think you can get away with these acts". Joe plopped Chipi into Andy's arms and leaned forward, "Next time, I won't be so nice" he said. With that, the ranger stood up and motioned to his friend that it was time to leave.
"A ha!" the other ranger declared, "and exactly how close to the game preserve gates did you get, Mr. Slade!". The hunter glanced up at the ranger as he whittled off another shaving of bark from the twig he held, the blade coming close to the ranger's face which had leaned in, "aint safe ta get that close to a whittlin' job" Amos replied as the ranger jerked back, brushing the wood shaving off of him.
With a sigh, Joe walked up and grabbed his friend by the arm, dragging him down Amos' porch steps, "Come on, the animals are safe now and our job's done". The other ranger tried to free himself from Joe's grip, "Wait!" he protested, "I almost got a confession! He was in the preserve, I know he was!". Joe shook his head, "You didn't have your coffee this morning did you?" he asked.
Andy watched as the two rangers left. Copper and Chief had been watching the ordeal as well and they both now turned their gaze from watching the rangers depart to look at Andy as he stood there.
Amos sighed and, getting up from his chair, walked over to where Andy stood. "Don't fret it boy" he said, "Them rangers have always had a prejudice against us hunters". Andy sighed and set Chipi down, "It's just--they think I did something illegal" he said, standing back up. Amos patted the boy's shoulder, "Well, you just show them game animal lovers that you can stay behind their line and they'll ease up eventually". Andy nodded.
"Now then!" Amos said, "What say we get back to the hunting lesson I was showin' ya before we were interrupted?". Andy gave a genuine smile and followed Amos as he lead him back around the back of the house. Once they left, Chipi gave a sigh and walked out a bit away from where Chief and Copper were sitting. "Ya ok?" Copper asked. The puppy nodded, "Yeah, it's just--I got my master in trouble and--I was only playing".
Chief smiled, "Yeah, them humans around the preserve are kinda strict. They seem ta throw a fuss even when yer just havin' a bit of fun with the critter" he said with a grin. Copper shook his head, "Yet some of us cross the line into tormenting" he said, looking at Chief. The old dog glanced over at Copper. "I don't torment em--much!" he replied.
Chipi looked at the two older dogs confused, "Do you not like the animals in the forest, Mr. Chief?" she asked innocently. The laugh that came out of Chief at this question was priceless. "Like--like em!" Chief laughed, "No they're great! My life would be way to dull without em!" he said, still laughing. Chipi looked skeptical, "All the same" she said, starting to feel uncomfortable with Chief's coded talk, "I think I'll tell Binx not to come over here to often".
Luckily Chief was laughing over Chipi's question so much he didn't really catch that last part, but Copper did. The dog turned and regarded Chipi curiously as different confusing puzzle pieces from this conversation started to fit together! Copper gave a side glance to Chief who was on the floor laughing. The thought that had occurred to him was just a hunch, but still, he needed Chief out of the way in order to question Chipi on what he suspected.
Fortunately this wasn't as hard as it seemed. "Uh, Chief" Copper said, "I think the master left some bacon scraps on the back porch". The old dog immediately stopped laughing and his eyes went wide. "Let me at em!" he cried charging off towards the back of the house and, as always happened when he was excited or motivated, Chief's barrel he was tied to went along with him. Copper smiled slightly and then turned to Chipi,
"So" he said interestedly, "Who's Binx?". Chipi smiled, "He's my friend, in fact I think he's probably my best friend! Him and Midnight both!". Copper smiled at the puppy, "and where does he live?" he asked. "In the forest that'a way" Chipi replied, pointing. Copper nodded, his sense of foreboding growing stronger, "He's one of the forest animals?" he asked hesitantly. Chipi nodded, "yeah, he's a fox".
Meanwhile, Tod and Vixey were seeing to it that both Midnight and Scuff got home safely. After dropping off Scuff and enduring the lecture of bad influence and irresponisbility aimed at Tod by the old badger, the three foxes then began to make their way back to their den. Both Binx and Tod appeared to be lost in thought as they walked along.
Tod was just thinking over the unlikelihood of running into the same puppy from the quail incident in the manner that they had. Strange as it sounded, due to that incident Tod hadn't really labeled the puppy as the type to be tormenting animals. Yet, when they came across the youngsters today--. Binx was just thinking over how strange his mother had acted and biting his tongue from asking her why she had assumed such a hostile attitude in front of his friends, and even towards one of his friends!
As the three reached home, Binx glanced up and decided that now was as good a time as any, and the not knowing was killing him! "Uh, mom" Binx said hesitantly. Vixey turned from where she had been going to check on the others cubs, "Yes dear?". Binx gave his mother a confused look, "Why--why were you being mean to Chipi?" he asked, unaware that his mother wouldn't know who that was.
Both Tod and Vixey looked at their son. "Who?" Vixey asked, confused. "Chipi" Binx repeated, "the puppy you were trying to chase away". Vixey just stared at Binx. The young fox swallowed slightly and continued, "I mean, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, but you're going to make her think my family's weird". Vixey continued to stare at her son, "Binx, why would you care what a little hunting dog thinks of us?" she asked.
Binx looked even more confused, "Mom, she's not a hunting dog" he said, with a slight chuckle of disbelief at such an accusation, "She's my friend--in fact my new other best friend along with Midnight!".