Presently the tall hound left Cross Fox and came after him, but he was now well in the lead. As he strained up the mountain side it seemed to him that his heart must burst with the exertion. If he could only stop and take a few short breaths, but he could not, so he fled on. The way grew steeper and steeper, and presently friendly trees opened their branches to receive him and he fled into the depths of the ancient wood and was lost from sight.
The greyhound follows only by sight, so Redcoat's pursuer gave up the chase as soon as the fox disappeared in the woods.
Redcoat had saved his own brush this time, but there were other days coming; and of all the fox family that had played in the spruces in June and romped in the woods in the summer time, he alone was left.
