Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-05-26
NO 125.
miscellaneous
HOrNDS OurRUN BYARARE.

] Ii has often been debated whether the
fieetness and stoptness ofa good hare are
greater than those of u tirst-class grey
hound. The best hare> in England are
said to be those on the wolds of the East
| Riding of Yorkshire. and here it was that
the celebrated Major Topham of\Nold cot
tage, near Malton, loved to maintain that
he could find hare any morning capable
OF showing the heels TO the best pair of
greyhonnds that were ever slipped. even
though that his own champion dog, Snow
ball. were in the leash. Not long before
Major Topham'> death in 1870. u boastful
| lover OF the leash came To Maltou TO passa
few days with the owner OF Wold cottage
The visitor talked loudly OF the marvellous
superiority of two greyhounds which he
had brought with him. and when Major
Tophain expressed his opinion that on the
morrow he would lind hare which his
friends grcyhounds could not touch. abct
of twenty guincas 10 one was laid by tho
baekcr of the dogs against hare whose
form was well known to the Major, see
ing that he had often slipped SNOWFALL in
pursuit of her, and always without sue
cess. On the morrow the hare was found
in her usual seat in u tallow field. and
away she went, keeping to the top of the
ridge, while the two dogs in pursuit ran
in the fallows, one to the right and the
other to the left of the ridge. along which
the quarry held her flying course. At
first it seemed that the dogs were gaining
upon her. since the hare is the most cum
ming of all animals which trust 10 their
speed for safety. Shortly she ran through
a hedge which bounded the fallow-field,
and which the TIVE dogs flew in their stride,
But having left the hedge behind her the
hare knew well that the moment had ar
rived for putting on the speed. A broad
down, with crisp grass, and sloping gen
tly upward for three miles, was before
her, and here it was that upon many pre-
vious occasions she had left Major Top
hams best dogs far in the lurch. Care
fully watching her pursucrs, she then be-
gan to increase her speed, and before Il
mile was traverscd the two dogs were
beaten of two hundred yards, As it is
the popularity of grcyhounds. or gaze
hounds, that they abandon the pursuit
when they can 10 longer see the animal
they arc chasing. Major Topham was in
eXpressibly entertained when his friends
dogs were observed To stop and to raise
themselves on their long hind legs as is
their fashion when msighted
When the Major and his friend came
up with them they were standing with
their tongues out and looking at each other,
while the flying hare was at the top of the
hill. Not long ailerward she was shot by
a neighbor from behind II hedge. to the
great modification of the Major. who
vowed that no dog that was ever born
could live with her upon the Yorkshire
wolds. She was carefully weighed after
death. and was found TO weigh 10 -
pounds. Such was her fame that we'll
known sporting writer of the past, who
under the non dc plume of ''Martingale."
was constant contributor some forty
years to the Doncaster Gazette, openly
avOwed his belief that, Ion comparison
of the speed OF the hare with that of the
greyhounds, the tleetest hare will defeat
the feetest dog. ."-London Times.