The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-04-14
A RUN FOR LIFE.

A RUN FOR LIFE.
In my young days I was an enthusi-
cation I was delighted to receive an in
vitation from bachelor cousin, Fred
Vernon, to spenda week or two with him
in distant county. Fred was agent to
Squire Althorpe, who owned pretty
nearly the whole of the parish in which
he lived and, as the Squire spent good
part Of his time away from home, T
knew I should be able to roam about the
place very much as liked, and should
therefore have ample opportunities of
adding to my collection of butterflies
and other insects. Fred and I had been
at school together, and were much more
intimate than is usually the case with
relations; but we had somehow lost
sight of each other since, and on my
part L was very glad of an opportunity
of renewing the old friendship.
At the time of my visit to Blank
shire, the Squire was away on the con-
tinent; and, on the morning after my
arrival, Fred, having some leisure time
at his disposal, proposed that we should
take ramble round the park, and fin
ish up by visiting the Sqlire's kennels.
The park was magnificent place,
fully 600 acres in extent, and we'll wood
ed. Grand old oaks, graceful lines
and handsome chestnuts were dotted
here and there with picturesque irregu-
larity; while on each side of the hall
were clumps of the finest elm trees I
had ever seen, on which, for ages past,
vast numbers of rocks had built their
nests. A certain portion of the park
itself-about third of the whole ex-
tent-was surrounded with high iron
ratings, put down to keep in the deer,
of which there we're about loo. Within
the park was small lake, about twenty
or thirty acres in extent, teeming with
fish, surrounded on all sides by giant
trees and fringed with beds of waving
reeds, while further out into the water
were patches of lilies, yellow and white,
whose blossoms foated placidly on the
unruffied surface.
On the other side of the park, stretch,
ing far away inland, was an extensive
heath, gently undulating, and covered
here and there with patches of gorse and
rough grass, which afforded covert for
numerous cartridges and hares and rab-
bits Altogether, the estate was per-
feet sportsman's paradise, while for the
naturalist it offered unusual attractions
as being the home of many different
kinds of plants and flowers, and supply
ing food and shelter to insects of everv
kind.
AS for the dogs 1 saw at the kennel, 1
have never forgotten them. Each breed
had It's own special department., and an
assistant to see after it. Much as the
spaniels and settlers interested me-for I
was bit of sportsman as we'll as q nat
uralist-I must confess that pack of
splendid bloodhounds struck me most of
all. Their wise, solemn-looking faces.
with their neutrality-suspicious. ears, as
line and as soft as silk, were indeed q
study. This pack, I was told, was not
only celebrated for its appearance but
also for its work. They were trained to
follow trail, of biped as we'll as quad
ruped, with the most underwriting GER
talnty !; and their presence in the
Squire's kennels did more to proven
poachlng than all army of ga1nekeepers.
While we were admiring the hounds the
kennelman told us several tales in illus
tration of this fact.
A few mornings after our visit to tie
Kennels Fred told me, as we sat at break
iast, that he had some estate business to
transact at the town a few miles off.
which would require him to be from
nome nearly the whole day. I could
come with him, he said, if I chose; but.
once at the town, he must leave me to
my own devices, and he opined that 7
would find it rather dull. With thanks
Tor his offer, I assured him that I would
much prefer an chronological expedition
by myself to hanging about the town ::
put at the same time suggested that, if
my services would render him any HELM.
L would gladly sacrifice my own comfort
to his. With laugh, he said that /
should only be in his way if came with
HIM, and we settled the matter there and
then.
After breakfast Fred's horse was
brought round to the door, and. with
parting injunctions to me to 20 where T
liked, he rode off.
Shortly after his departure, armed
with my butterfy-net, and with goodly
store OF collecting boxes for the recep-
tlon OF my spoils, I too started for long,
solitary ramble across the heath. I had
been gone, I suppose, rather more than
couple OF hours, and had been wander
ing about here and there in an apparent
~ aimless fashion in pursuit Of speci-
mems, visiting two or three old pits, and
the various hollows in the heath as
came to them, when, on mounting some
rising ground, the deep notes of blood
hound were borne family to me by the
gentle breeze that was blowing from the
direction Of the kennels. As I listened.
the sound appeared to grow trifle more
distinct, and then entirely died away.
Thinking that the pack was out after an
escaped deer, I did not pay much atten.
ton to what I heard, but proceeded on
my way to the next bit of high ground.
which from its elevation would give me
an opportunity Of observing in the dis
lance the movements of the dogs. A
brisk walk suficed to bring me to the
top OF this spot, and here the deep mel
low voices of the hounds were heard more
distinctly, and, as it seemed to me.
sounded much nearer than on the preyi.