but before I arrived near the spot I heard a loud and tremendous cackling, and met two young, long-legged pullets, running with both wings and feet toward home. 可是还没到小树林，就听到了咯咯的尖叫声，两只小母鸡，张着翅膀，朝家的方向奔跑。

　　Jock pricked up his sharp ears, and would have set off at full gallop to the copse; 泽克马上立起了尖耳朵，朝小树林就要跑过去，

　　but I restrained him, hastening onward, however, at the top of my speed, thinking I had as good a right to see what was the matter as Jock. 我拉住了他以最快的速度向那个方向跑去，我想我和泽克一样有权看一看究竟发生了什么。

　　Poor Yarico! An impertinent fox cub had attempted to carry off one of her children; 可怜的雅丽克！一只莽撞的小狐狸试图叼走她的一个孩子；

　　but she had managed to get them behind her in the hedge, and venturing boldly forth had placed herself in front, and positively kept the impudent animal at bay. 她设法把小鸡挡在身后的栅栏里，雅丽克冒着危险冲在前面，无礼的小狐狸明显被逼到了死胡同。

　　His desire for plunder had prevented his noticing our approach, and Jock soon made him feel the superiority of an Englishmastiff over a cub fox. 小狐狸一心做强盗，没注意到靠近的我们，泽克很快就让他感到了英国马士提夫獒犬的优势地位。

　　The most interesting portion of my tale is to come. 我就要讲到最有趣的地方了。

　　Yarico not only never afterward ventured to the copse, but formed a strong friendship for the dog which had preserved her family. 雅丽克此后不仅不再冒险去小树林了，而且还和保护了她一家的马士提夫獒犬结下了深厚的友谊。

　　Whenever he appeared in the yard, she would run to meet him, prating and clucking all the time,  不论泽克什么时候出现在鸡场，她都会跑去迎接他，咯咯地叫个不停，

　　and impeding his progress by walking between his legs, to his no small annoyance. 还会走在泽克的两腿之间，给他造成了不小的烦恼。

　　If any other dog entered the yard, she would fly at him most furiously, thinking, perhaps, that he would injure her chickens; 如果别的狗进了鸡场，她会猛冲过去，担心她的孩子受到伤害；

　　but she evidently considered Jock her especial protector, and treated him accordingly. 可她显然觉得泽克是她的保护者，因此对泽克非常亲热。