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And so began the strange

and terrifying story

of the Belstone Fox.

Glad it's over?

Are you glad the season's over?

Yes, I suppose I am. It's not getting easier.

How's your back today?

- Not too bad. - How's Mr Kendrick?

- He's all right. - I'm glad.

- It hasn't been a bad season. - I often think of him, you know.

Sitting up there in his big house all on his own.

It must get terribly lonely without her.

They were so close.

Asher.

Did you talk to him about retiring?

No Cathie, I didn't.

Asher, you're not a young man anymore.

I told you, I'll go on as long as I can, and that's final.

Oh come on, girl, it's not as bad as all that. It's just my old bones start aching sometimes.

That sounds like Flagan. I'd better go and have a look.

Well, give me that.

You'd be a rich man if Mr Kendrick paid you overtime.

Who's that talking?

Who's making all that noise?

What are you all doing? Hello, my lovelies.

You well, Flagan?

Had a busy day today didn't you?

Old feller. What are you doing.

All right, that's enough, that's enough.

Settle down, settle down. Sit down, now. Down.

How are you, my lovely ladies?

Goodnight, my beauties.

That's that, then.

- Everything all right? - Yes, they were just a bit excited, that's all.

I'll just wash these cups up.

Oh come on, my dear, leave them 'til the morning.

It's all right, I'll go.

It's all right, it's only Tod. Come in, love.

You go right through now.

Ta.

Asher.

Hey, what you got there?

Ah, poor little devil.

- Who did it, do you reckon? - I dunno.

I'd like to get my hands on 'em.

- What about the others? - Dead. All dead.

This one's dying, too.

- He ain't dead yet. - Might as well put it out of its misery.

Asher, put it in with the bitch, old Ruen.

She only whelped last week.

If she takes to it, it might survive.

If she don't, it won't be there in the morning.

Well, at least it'll have a chance.

Hello, old girl.

How are you then?

Look here.

That's it.

That's a good old girl. Good old girl.

Go on, get in there.

There we are, old girl.

Asher.

What is it?

- It's nothing. - It's that fox, isn't it?

Yes.

Morning, Dad. You're up early.

Yes.

Where are you going?

Secret?

- You wait and see. - Oh, Dad.

Ruen?

- But it's... - Mm.

- Where did it come from? - Tod brought it in last night.

Where's its mother?

Someone knocked her off, I suppose.

Why?

Some people don't like foxes.

Stephen had been with Asher for four seasons.

Several of his ancestors had been huntsmen.

And Stephen was anxious to follow in their footsteps.

But for a few seasons more

he would have to curb his ambition

and content himself as whipper-in.

Morning, Ash.

Master.

- Beautiful day, sir. - Lovely. Morning, Stephen.

- Morning, sir. - How's he getting on?

Not badly at all, sir.

- Bit over enthusiastic. - That's not a bad fault.

Mr Kendrick, sir.

- About Ruen. - Ruen? What about her?

She's nursing a fox cub.

- A what? - Ruen, sir.

She's nursing a fox cub.

- Are you being serious, Ash? - Yes I am. Tod brought it in, it was damn near dead.

I gave it to Ruen, I thought she'd eat it. And she's fostering it instead.

I know I really shouldn't, sir, but...

Damn me! What an amazing huntsman I've got.

In fact bloody unique if you ask me.

Ruen nursing a fox cub?

My god, what an extraordinary arrangement.

Do you object, sir?

Object?

Of course I don't, good luck to 'em. Better keep quiet about it though.

Yes, sir.

Come on, puppies, come here, come on.

There's a good boy.

There's a good boy, come on.

Bit of a rag-tag and bobtail lot, aren't they?

- Tag, that's what I'm going to call him. - Tag?

Oh, you can do better than that, Jenny.

No, Tag. That's it.

- Stephen! - Yeah?

- Where's Dad? - He's in there, naming the pups.

Come on.

- You named Ruen's litter yet then? - I'm just doing them now.

The dame was Ruen...

Pretty fine job you made of it. The sire was...

- Marshall. - Marshall. They're from Brocklesby. Fine animal.

- All names beginning with M then? - That's right.

I got 'em all too.

Milly, Melody, Meanwell, Menacer, Merriman.

All except Tag's little friend.

- Oh, let me do it. - All right then.

Hurry up though, because I've got to get the book up to Mr Kendrick.

- Miracle? - Miracle.

- Magic? - No.

- Mercury. - Oh, really, Stephen.

Well, come on.

I know. Merlin.

Merlin. Merlin it is then.

Damn, done it again.

Now, where were we?

Ah yes, the Walk situation.

Well, there's only one left, we can look after that one ourselves.

- Which one's that? - Merlin.

- You know, the one from Ruen's litter. - Ah, the one with the foxy friend.

That's the one.

- How about the fox, Ash? - Oh, it'll go of its own accord.

- Are you sure? - Yes.

Fox'll always go back.

Unless you chain him up. I'll not do that.

How am I doing, Ash?

- How are you doing what? - How am I doing?

You know, the whole thing.

The hunt, the house, sitting up here playing the bloody squire.

Tell me Ash, am I getting away with it?

I try my damnedest not to let old Belstone down, even if he is only a fixture and fitting.

You know what I mean. Only bloody money put me in here, damn all else.

But it's them that worry me.

Don't know what they're saying behind my back.

Blast it, Ash, tell me what they're saying.

I want to know.

Well sir, why ask me?

Because you were the first person around here to accept me for what I am.

And that means a lot to me.

A hell of a lot.

Well, Mr Kendrick.

I don't know.

I don't know what people say.

I wouldn't give a damn if I did.

- Hello, Dad. - Hello.

Hello, son.

You're beautiful.

There.

I didn't hurt you, did I?

Come on Merlin, come on Tag.

- Morning, Tod. - Hello, Jenny.

It was a time of learning for both of them.

The world was a treasure-house of fascinating experiences.

Some known, some unknown.

And all with hidden meaning.

They lived through their noses.

Their quick young brains sifting and storing the information they gained.

And as spring gave way to the richness of summer

the living was easy.

And always, it was a time for play.

The pair of them were inseparable.

Wherever one went, the other would always follow.

Oh my god, who let them in?

Doesn't matter now, just get them out.

Go on, out!

Out! Out! Go on!

- Out, out, both of you. - Oh, what a mess.

Look at this.

It's ruined.

You must have left the back door open - you know Jen, you are a silly girl, I could murder them.

I'm sorry, I really am.

- Now don't take on so, it's not the end of the world. - It certainly looks like it.

Dad.

What's going to happen to Tag and Merlin when you start hunting?

Oh, I'll just shut him up for the day.

- If we can get him in, that is. - But supposing he gets out.

Oh, he's old enough.

He can look after himself.

Suppose you find Tag one day.

And Merlin's in the pack.

Will Merlin hunt him too?

- Ah, that's ridiculous. - But it could happen.

It could, couldn't it?

Oh, don't bother me. Get on with your work.

He left it as late as he dared.

But at last he could delay it no longer.

Merlin had to go into kennels with the young hounds.

It was a time to say goodbye.

And a difficult time for us all.

Come, my beauties.

Haven't much time.

Careful.

He'll be all right. I know he will.

What are you still hanging about here for?

Why don't you clear off, go on, go.

Go on, I tell you.

Go on, get out.

Go on!

Get out!

Get out!

The first day's cub hunting was now set

for the second Tuesday in September.

On the Monday afternoon, Asher drew his pack.

He had to take as many hounds as he could.

For one of the purposes of cubbing was to teach young hounds how to hunt the fox.

But if he took too many hounds

control might be difficult.

Get back!

Pilgrim. Pilgrim.

He'll teach the young'uns a thing or two.

Merriman. Come on, Merriman.

- Merlin. - Merlin?

Yes, Merlin.

- Have enough cubbing? - Good, sir. - Put 'em away, then.

Among other things, Tod was an earth-stopper.

The night before a hunt, when foxes were out and about

he would silently find their earths and block the entrances

thus denying them a refuge the next day.

By now Tod was almost nocturnal.

And if by day his eyesight was not particularly good

by nightfall his senses combined to find his way across country

even on the darkest night.

So it's Burnett's Wood tomorrow, then.

Aye.

- Maybe I'll broke horse. - You'll not get there.

I might.

- It's pretty thick in Burnett's Wood, isn't it? - Thicker than ever I've seen it.

We might have to stop there.

- How many in it? - Two litter.

Three brace and two and a half brace.

Could be all right.

You taking Merlin?

- Aye. - He all right?

I'll tell you that tomorrow night.

Hey, twenty-one.

Tod...

Is that fox around?

- Fox? What fox are you talking about? - You know damn well which fox I mean.

- Not where you're going. - No, but he's around somewhere.

Tod, I mean, he's all right, isn't he, he's looking after himself all right.

All right? Course he's all right.

He's a fox, ain't he?

Right, Stephen, let them go.

Come on, come on.

Come on now, come on up.

Merlin, get on, get on.

Menacer, get on. Get on.

All right Stephen, give them a chance to empty themselves.

Very well, Asher.

Hounds, please.

Right, Majoe.

Will you take the Busby girls up the top side with you?

Cub hunting always started before the season proper.

And in order to make it easier for the young hounds

the hunt usually tried to confine the young fox to a small wood or cover

so that it could not escape over the countryside.

- Right, Ash. - You in there.

You in, Merlin. You in!

Well done, Stephen. You hang on to it.

Thank you, sir.

Now, where's that young Katie?

- Stephen. - Coming.

Right darling, first kill. Come on Katie, get down.

There you are. Tell your mother not to wash it off, right?

One short.

- Which one? - Merlin.

- One short, are you? - Yes, sir.

- Which one? - Merlin, sir.

Well, never mind, he'll probably be waiting for you when you get home. Let's go.

- He'll turn up, Dad. - Yes I know, love.

No, really, I mean it.

You're a good kid.

I'll just have another look.

I'll have the tea ready.

You're a good kid, too.

What's the matter Merlin, eh?

What's the matter?

I don't know what I can do.

You can't go on mourning forever.

Come on then, Merlin. Come on, boy.

- Billy. - Cheers, Steve.

How about our huntsman then, eh?

- Fine. - Mooning about the place over his favourite.

- Waiting for the miracle. - Oh, yes.

- What miracle? - You know perfectly well what I mean.

Do I?

- Of course you bloody do. - Watch it, Steve.

I mean that hound, you know the one I mean.

What's he doing, taking it out day after day? He ain't going to enter, not in a month of Sundays.

- And what would you do about it, then? - Knock him on the head. Anything.

Well, I wouldn't keep taking him out where he'll have a bad effect on the rest.

Do you know why Asher won't give up?

Because he let a hound chum up with a fox.

And he won't admit it was a mistake.

That hound's never been right since Tag left, and what's more he -

Now you listen to me, you blown-up young toad.

You're working under a man who's forgotten more about hounds than you'll ever learn.

And what's more he's straight. Straight as a die.

One thing you won't find him doing is talking about you behind your back.

- He's a good lad, Tod, it's only the beer talking. - I don't care what it is that's talking.

- I won't listen to anyone being clever about Asher Smith. - He worships him.

He has a funny way of showing it.

- Morning, Jenny. - Morning, Mr Kendrick.

I'm a patient man, Ash, but if he doesn't enter today you'd better get rid of him.

Yes, sir.

- There you are. - Sir.

Forward! Forward!

Get on. Stephen.

Come on.

Come on, my beauties.

Come on, my beauties.

Come on then.

Come on, lads.

Come on lads, Merlin's leading 'em.

Do you want to try again, sir?

No, Ash, they've had a hard day and there's no scent anyway.

I think we'll go home.

Right, sir. Goodnight.

Come on, Josie. Come on.

All done, sir.

Stephen.

Here, Merlin.

Come here, boy.

You just watch that hound go from now on, lad.

Yes, sir.

Come on, my beauties.

The legend of the Belstone Fox was now starting to take shape.

Merlin had at last come into his own.

And it was not long before the huntsmen came to rely on him more and more.

But although many times he found foxes for them

he would never involve himself in the actual kill.

If Asher had a great interest in Merlin,

Tod had an even deeper one in Tag.

But as Tag often travelled many miles in a single night

the old man had a hard job trying to keep up with him.

After two years,

Tag eventually established his territory in a corner of Kennel Wood

and settled down to the quiet life.

Except for his excursions with the hunt

which he found pure joy.

- Afternoon, Cathie. - Oh, hello Mr Kendrick.

- Busy? - No.

- Ash about? - Yes, he's in the house with Tod.

- Mind if I have a word with him? - Oh, please. Please do.

- How's that pretty young daughter of yours? - She'll be back in college next week.

Just in time for the party, eh?

She won't miss that, Mr Kendrick.

- Good. Bye. - Bye.

- It's all right, sir. Just dozed off. - Never mind about that.

Have you seen this?

- Not yet, why? - Now look, Ash.

Have you told anyone about Tag?

- About him growing up in the kennels, I mean? - Of course not.

- Tod? - No, sir.

Well, just listen to some of these stories.

The Belstone Hunt, et cetera...

Ah. Some devious ploys are indeed remarkable.

On one occasion he made a wide detour in order to run through a vegetable garden

and enter the back door of a small cottage.

He then left by an open window in the front, ran down the path,

and finally eluded his pursuers by a quick dash over the church meadow.

Other of his tactics are even more amazing.

Finding the hounds too close for comfort,

he actually escaped by floating off on a piece of driftwood

over the waters of Wootton Reservoir

While the hunt tried to cut him off by riding along the top of the dam itself

once again with no success whatsoever.

Another characteristic of this fox is his familiarity with the impertinences

of what we in the country call progress.

Having been chased into a small village,

he jumped into the back of a baker's van.

And according to reports, although this is not easy to verify,

he was then actually driven away from the scene of the hunt

while the baker's van was apparently followed for several miles

by one solitary foxhound.

I can guess which one that was.

And on at least two occasions

when hounds and about fifty people had met on the green,

the fox has been observed sitting on a nearby waste-bin

surveying the scene with great interest

and evident enjoyment.

Enjoyment.

Here, read it for yourself.

Pretty close to the truth.

Are you going to try and catch him this season?

- Well, I always try, don't I? - I don't know.

- Do you? - Of course I do.

Are you absolutely certain you've never helped him?

Just the teeniest bit?

- I don't think so. - I think so.

- When? - Well, let's think now.

How about the time you marked him to ground in the Stoneworks earth?

Why didn't you call the terriers and dig him out?

Well, as I remember, they were a long way off.

Oh come off it Ash, they weren't that far away.

Any other fox I reckon you'd have had out of there.

And what about the time they lost his line in Canter's Water meadow?

- You saw him lying up in the willows, didn't you? - How the devil did you know that?

Ah, I've got my spies everywhere.

- You, Tod? You... - Now then Ash, Tod wasn't telling tales out of school.

He only told me because he knew I was interested in his precious fox.

Still am, come to that.

Well...I hunted him last Friday.

I know. You didn't catch him either, 'cause I'd seen him come home.

I'm worried.

- There's something wrong with it. - Oh yes?

- Hunting Tag. - I shouldn't worry about it if I was you.

- I reckon young Tag can take care of himself. - It's not only Tag, it's Merlin.

- You know, there's something between those two. - Oh, stop champing, boy. There's nothing wrong.

Well, you'd soon change your tune if we killed that precious fox of your'n.

What, kill Tag?

There's only one hound that'll ever get the best of that one and he'd no more kill him than fly.

I'd have heard a couple more that would.

No. That's no ordinary fox.

You can hunt him as much as you like.

But you'll never catch him.

Never.

Seamus! Peter!

- Dad, two of my friends from college. Drink? - Sounds lovely.

- Bloody impossible place to find. - More like a safari.

Jenny, come and have a dance.

Just a minute. Stephen - Peter, Seamus.

- Hey Jenny! - Coming, Gordon.

And what do you do in the hunting fraternity?

- Whipper-in. - Whipper what?

Oh I know, one of those doggy fellows.

Evening, Ash.

- Evening, sir. - Where's the birthday girl?

- Congratulations. - Oh, thank you.

Oh, thank you Mr Kendrick.

- It looks beautiful, my dear. - Thank you, Asher.

Maybe some of you might mind going in the other room,

It's getting frightfully crowded in here.

Come on Stephen, no wallflowers in this one, come and have a dance.

- You never married, did you, Tod? - Nope.

I didn't have to.

- What's going on? - Nothing to worry about Jenny, too much booze.

Bye, Jenny.

Bye, Peter. Bye, Seamus. See you next term.

- Asher! - Yes?

- Come and help with the washing up. - All right, my dear.

Come on Jenny, don't catch cold.

You look awful.

Happy birthday.

- See you tomorrow at the hunt. - Oh no you won't.

- Why? Your horse lame? - No.

- Things are a bit different now. - Oh? How?

Oh, in lots of ways. I'm now what's called an anti.

- A what? - An anti. Anti-hunting.

Fox hunting?

Any kind of hunting.

Look, Jenny.

- I did want to talk to you about something tonight. - What?

Well...

You know, I've been with the Belstone now for seven seasons.

Well, the Medvale hunt, they've written to me and asked me to join them.

- As huntsman. Now that would be a big leg up for me. - So?

Well, you know, I'm very fond of your father.

Well, I don't want to feel I'm letting him down.

You can't be number two forever, you have to move some time.

Yeah.

You see, I was hoping you'd move with me.

I don't know.

I'll have to think about it.

Night night, Stephen.

No sign of the beggar, Ash. That's a surprise.

Yes, sir, I thought he'd be there too.

I expect he's sitting somewhere laughing at us.

Hmm. Looks like Robin's Wood then.

- Come on, Josie. - Yes, sir.

All right, my fine foxy friend.

Now let's see what you're really made of.

I'll collect up what's left.

Damn him.

Come in, Asher.

Look, Ash, why don't you sit down?

- I think I'd rather stand, sir. - Damn and blast it man, sit down when you're bloody well told.

Well, what's it going to be? The usual?

The doctor said something about not drinking for a day or two.

- Horse manure, it'll do you good. - I doubt it.

Now look, Ash. Stop worrying about your hounds.

We're all upset about it.

After all, they were my hounds, weren't they?

- I don't see why you should... - I know, sir. But there's a bit more to it now than that.

Well, I'm sorry.

Oh, what the hell.

I've got to kill that bloody fox.

According to you, that's what you've been trying to do

- for the past three years. - I know, but now I've really got to kill him.

Now look, Ash, I don't think we see eye to eye over this.

As far as I'm concerned, it was an accident.

A bloody unfortunate one, but an accident for all that.

And I'm not going to have you running a private vendetta against the Belstone Fox

at the expense of the entire hunt.

That's pure revenge.

I must say I'm surprised. Yes, really, shocked.

- That a man of your calibre and experience... - Oh, shut up.

Just listen, please.

You haven't begun to understand.

Now look. I've learned a bit about foxes over the past 40 years.

And I'll tell you one thing I know.

If a hunted fox finds a way of throwing hounds off his scent,

he'll use that method again. Sure as I'm sitting here.

I know it was an accident when Tag ran that railway line,

but the result's exactly the same.

He'll know that running the line will get the hounds off his tail.

He's proved it.

So he'll go on doing it again and again.

And we'll go on losing more and more hounds.

So now do you see, I've just got to kill him.

I'm sorry, Ash.

I tend to forget that you know a hell of a lot more about these things than I do.

Well, that's that, then.

Better organise a drive and shoot the devil.

No, sir. Not that way.

- Why the hell not, man? - That'd be wrong.

I've got to hunt him. Fair and square.

- Now look Ash, be reasonable. - No, sir. It's got to be that way.

Or nothing.

- Are you sure you'll be fit enough for Saturday? - Of course I will, lad.

Won't need this on a horse.

Game of darts, Billy?

- It was an accident, no-one's to blame. - It was my fault.

- No. - It was.

They were playing a game those two, all these years, and I played it with 'em.

You know I could've killed that fox once, maybe twice.

I went against nature.

That's why it went sour.

I'm going to kill that fox.

- You can't do it, Asher. - Look, Tod, I told you I've got to do it.

Asher.

Look, I'm coming with you.

Wait, Asher, I've worked it out.

You don't have to kill him. Listen.

I've been feeding him now for a couple of years.

I know where he is, where he goes every minute of the day. Listen, it's easy.

Before you go hunting, I'll stop him in.

Give him some grub, when you get back I'll let him out, he'll soon get used to it.

- You don't have to kill him, Asher. - Look, Tod.

- It's no good, I can't risk it. - Asher.

That fox and you,

it's all I live for. Don't do it, Asher. Asher, please.

Asher, give him a chance.

- Morning, Ash. How do you feel? - I'm very well, thank you.

- Now look, if you're not 100%, better say so right now. - I'll be all right, sir.

Good luck. Stubborn old devil.

Asher? Hounds, please.

- Another blank, eh, Ash? - I'm sorry, sir.

- Tod stopped all the earths, I suppose. - No he didn't, sir.

I did. Every one.

Right then.

- Kennel Wood. - Yes, sir.

Kennel Wood.

You in, then. You in.

You in. You in.

Go on.

You in there. You in then.

That's it. Come on, my beauties.

You in, you in.

That's it.

Find him out, then.

Come on, then. Go on, then.

In then.

That him?

Aye.

Hmm, lost him again, eh?

Asher.

Going home.

Head on forward. Forward, forward!

- He's gone out the back. - Got him?

- No, sir. - Get him.

Come on, lads.

You all right?

Yes, I'm all right.

Blast!

Hold up, they're way past the seam.

Get up, go on!

Asher, what's wrong, why aren't you with your hounds?

- Fresh fox, they've changed. - Blast it.

Still, it can't be helped. Come on then man, get back to your pack.

Asher. Get back to your pack.

There's my pack, sir.

- For god's sake, man, what's wrong with you? - Nothing's wrong.

Asher Smith.

If you don't do as you're told,

- Then you're no longer hunting my hounds, is that clear? - I'm staying with my pack, sir.

Go on, then.

Come on.

For god's sake, take it, man. You're hunting hounds, Stephen.

- But sir, where's Asher? - Back there somewhere, you're hunting hounds now.

- No, I must stay with him. - You'll do as you're bloody well told, boy.

Go on then, boy, go up.

Found his horse, over by Badgerway.

Couldn't follow. Frost covered up his tracks.

- Well, let's get over there. - No. Black as pitch.

Be dawn in an hour. We'll go then.

- I'd better phone the master. - Yeah, you do that, lad.

Mr Kendrick? It's Stephen.

Look, Tod's just come back...

- What's happening? - It's all right.

We're just going to fetch him.

- Morning, Stephen. Tod. - Sir.

- I think we'd better take Asher's way. - Wait!

All right, Jenny. Jump in.

- It's cold as hell out there, you know. I don't think... - You don't know anything yet.

Stephen.