Lady into Fox
Page 13
witnesses.
The side of Mr. Tebrick's garden there is bounded by a wall, about sixfeet high and curving round, so that the huntsmen could see over thiswall inside. One of them indeed put his horse at it very boldly, whichwas risking his neck, and although he got over safe was too late to beof much assistance.
His vixen had at once sprung into Mr. Tebrick's arms, and before hecould turn back the hounds were upon them and had pulled them down. Thenat that moment there was a scream of despair heard by all the field thathad come up, which they declared afterwards was more like a woman'svoice than a man's. But yet there was no clear proof whether it was Mr.Tebrick or his wife who had suddenly regained her voice. When thehuntsman who had leapt the wall got to them and had whipped off thehounds Mr. Tebrick had been terribly mauled and was bleeding from twentywounds. As for his vixen she was dead, though he was still clasping herdead body in his arms.
Mr. Tebrick was carried into the house at once and assistance sent for,but there was no doubt now about his neighbours being in the right whenthey called him mad. For a long while his life was despaired of, butat last he rallied, and in the end he recovered his reason and lived tobe a great age, for that matter he is still alive.