Crusoe The Chicken Rustler Strikes Again!

This was the last thing I needed this morning, I have been a bit manic the last couple of days (uh weeks)  preparing for the Christmas onslaught. 

I let Crusoe out this morning at around 9 am, for his morning abloutions, but half an hour later he had not returned, this is always a worrying sign, if he is not back within 10 mins it can only mean he is up to no good.

Now Crusoe has a long history of chicken rustling in the village it started with sheep worrying, not good, especially as the mayor of the village is also the local shepherd we soon knocked that on the head with the aid of an electric shock collar, sounds cruel I know but you don't mess with shepherds in the Pyrenees, it's either serious measures or he will be shot.

That worked, but every so often he get's the urge to chase chickens, he has not done this for around 18 months so I have been lulled into a false sense of security, our land is impossible to fence off and even if it was fenced, Crusoe who is the Houdini of dogs would find a way out, it always amazes our dog owning friends, when we visit with Crusoe "No,  don't worry he can't get out, our land is secure"
Crusoe ALWAYS find a way out!

So, this morning, after he had not returned I went to look for him and take out the rubbish to the recycling bins at the end of the lane, at the same moment Leon, very grumpy old peasant (Peasant is not a dirty word in France) was coming up the lane, walking his dog, now Leon is not a big fan of Crusoe.
He has a beagle, who looks very ill and has been tied up all his life!  At that moment Crusoe chose to appear out of nowhere with a chicken in his mouth, he dropped it at my feet, still alive, but in shock, Leon, who had unfortunately witnessed the whole thing, started having a go at me, dog should be tied up etc. etc.
 First priority for me was to find Crusoe, before the villagers, in case they shoot him, Crusoe had run off and gone into hiding.

Second priority find chicken return to owner.  I eventually found Crusoe after much whistling, stomping around ice, snow and mud, cowering in the bottom field (he knew he had been a bad boy) and has been sulking in his basket for the rest of the day, I eventually found the petrified chicken and returned the chicken to it's owner, but she told me there was another missing chicken, MG informed me much later (after Crusoe had been found, and was safely in his basket)  he saw a chicken in the garden, but was too busy to do anything about it, Oh joy, all I can say is, Crusoe, for the forseeable future is under house arrest and will be supervised at all times outside!