Of course Reddy heard him coming , and with a little snarl of anger at Blacky the Crow , he seized the fat hen by the neck , threw her body over his shoulder , and started for the near-by swamp as fast as his legs could take him . Just as Reddy reached the edge of the swamp , he heard the roar of a great voice behind him . He knew that voice . It was the voice of Bowser the Hound . It could be no one else but Bowser who was behind him , for there was no other voice quite like his . Dismay awoke in Reddy 's heart . He knew that Bowser was wise to the tricks of Foxes , and that he would have to use all his cunning to get rid of Bowser . To do it he would have to drop that fat hen he had come so far to get . Do you wonder that Reddy was dismayed ? CHAPTER XXXVI REDDY HIDES THE FAT HEN Dishonesty will run away Where Honesty will boldly stay . Bowser the Hound . Reddy Fox was in a fix ! He certainly was in a fix ! Here he was with the fat hen which he had come such a long , long way to get , and no chance to eat it , for Bowser the Hound was on his trail . Ordinarily Reddy Fox can run faster than can Bowser , but it is one thing to run with nothing to carry , and another thing altogether to with a burden as heavy as a fat hen . Reddy 's wits were working quite as fast as his legs . `` I ca n't carry this fat hen far , '' thought Reddy , `` for Bowser will surely catch me . I do n't want to drop it , because I have come such a long way to get it , and goodness knows when I will be able to catch another . The thing for me to do is to hide it where I can come back and get it after I get rid of that pesky dog . Goodness , what a noise he makes ! ''
As he ran , XXXXX watched sharply this way and that way for a place to hide the fat hen .
Blacky Bowser Dismay Fox Foxes Reddy goodness heart pesky way