Mastodonia by Clifford D. Simak Read Free Book Online

stoop, with a stretched-out Bowser plastered close against him. Seeing us, Bowser beat his tail in welcome.
    â€œHow is he?” Rila asked Hiram.
    â€œBowser is okay,” said Hiram. “Me and him had a good day. We sat and watched the robin and we did a lot of talking. I washed out the place where the arrow hit him and it looks good. There ain’t no more bleeding and the wound is beginning to scab around the edges. Bowser was a good dog. He lay still when I cleaned it out. He didn’t even twitch. He knew I was helping him.”
    â€œDid you find something to eat?” I asked.
    â€œThere was a piece of roast in the refrigerator and Bowser and me snared that. There was a little left and I gave that to Bowser for supper and fried some eggs for myself. We went and got the eggs out of the nests. There were eleven of them.”
    Hiram got slowly to his feet, seeming to unfold as he arose. “Since you are here,” he said, “I’ll go on home. I’ll be back in the morning to take care of Bowser.”
    â€œIf you have something else to do,” I said, “there isn’t any need. We’ll be here. We’ll take care of him.”
    â€œI got things to do,” Hiram said with dignity. “There are always things to do. But I promised Bowser. I told him I’d take care of him until he was all well.”
    He came down the steps and started to go around the house, then stopped. “I forgot,” he said. “I didn’t shut the chicken house. It should be shut. There are a lot of skunks and foxes.”
    â€œYou go on,” I said. “I’ll shut up the chickens.”

EIGHT
    The noise brought me straight upright in bed.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” Rila asked sleepily from her pillow.
    â€œSomething’s at the chickens.”
    She stirred protestingly. “Don’t you ever get a night’s sleep here? It was Bowser last night and now the chickens.”
    â€œIt’s that goddamn fox,” I said. “He’s got three of them so far. The chicken house isn’t much better than a sieve.”
    Through the night came the squalling of the frightened birds.
    I swung my feet out of bed, found the slippers on the floor and shoved my feet into them.
    Rila sat up. “What are you going to do?”
    â€œThis time, I’ll get him,” I said. “Don’t turn on any lights. You’ll scare him off.”
    â€œIt’s night,” said Rila. “You won’t be able to see a fox.”
    â€œThere’s a full Moon. If he’s there, I’ll see him.”
    In the broom closet in the kitchen, I found the shotgun and a box of shells. I clicked two of them into the chambers of the double-barrel. Bowser whined from his corner.
    â€œYou stay here,” I told him. “And keep quiet. I don’t want you messing around, scaring off the fox.”
    â€œYou be careful, Asa,” Rila cautioned, standing in the doorway of the living room.
    â€œQuit worrying. I’ll be all right.”
    â€œYou ought to put something on,” she said. “You shouldn’t be running around out there, just in your slippers and pajama pants.”
    â€œIt’s warm,” I said.
    â€œBut it might be dewy. You’ll get your feet wet.”
    â€œI’ll be all right,” I said. “I won’t be out long.”
    The night was almost as bright as day; a great golden Moon shone directly overhead. In the softness of the moonlight, the yard had the haunting quality of a Japanese print. Lilac scent hung heavy in the night air.
    Frantic squawking still came from the hen house. A clump of cabbage roses stood at one corner of the structure, and as I went pussyfooting across the wet, cold grass, heavy with dew, as Rila had said it would be, I got the impression, somehow, that the fox was not in the chicken house at all, but hiding in the rose clump. I stalked the rose clump, gun at ready. It was