"A fox!" cried Russ, in wonder and alarm. "Does a fox live in that hole?" "And she's got puppies. We saw 'em playing out here one day. Father is only waiting for a chance to smoke 'em out. They are terrible. They eat hens and other poultry." Russ was vastly interested, as well as troubled by Laddie's fix. For the smaller boy was really wedged by his rolled-up jacket tight into the mouth of the culvert. His muffled cries became more imploring, and the other children really feared that the mother fox, fearing for her young, might have attacked the boy. "I tell you he must be got out!" shouted Russ. "How you going to do it?" Philly demanded. Then she called to Laddie: "Push in farther, Laddie! Then maybe you can back out all right." But Laddie Bunker was so much afraid of the foxes by now (he still saw their luminous eyes before him) that he dared not squirm any deeper into the pipe. What would have happened to him finally--whether or not the old fox might not have attacked him--will never be known, for Russ Bunker took desperate means to release his brother. Russ ran to a pile of cobblestones beside the road, seized a big one, and staggered back with it in both hands. With the stone he pounded the rim of the pipe so hard that it broke in pieces. "Ow! Ow!" cried the muffled voice of Laddie Bunker. "You are breaking my legs. Don't pound me so!" "Wriggle out! Hurry up! What's holding you?" demanded Russ, half angrily because he was so excited. The smaller boy began to move backward now, the rough rim of the pipe no longer holding his jacket. Slowly he pushed out. When he appeared, his face very red and tear-streaked, Russ and Phillis pulled him to his feet. "Where's the fox?" demanded Vi, still very much excited. "Is that a fox?" demanded Laddie, panting. "Yes," said Phillis Armatage. "That fox has got five pairs of eyes, then," grumbled Laddie. "She's got four pups," cried Frane, Junior. "I'm going to run and tell father," and he ran away up the hill. "Come on!" cried Russ, immediately in action again. "Let's stop up the hole. Then the foxes can't get out until Mr. Armatage comes." They did that--at least, Russ and Vi and the colored boys did. Rose dusted Laddie off and wiped his face. He soon became more cheerful. "Well," he said, with a long breath, "they didn't bite me after all; but I thought they would. And their eyes shone dreadfully." "What made them shine?" demanded Vi, her usual curiosity aroused. "Because they were mad," said her twin promptly. "That old mother fox didn't want me in there."