Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-18

to his less experienced friend, while he
himself follows along the regular line.
In some instances the men of the faini |
ly at our farmhouse, induced by the en-
treating voices of the dogs, go ont with
their guns to secure the fox. The method
is to listen to the course the dogs are
taking, and to stand in the line of mp
proach. Ere long the fugitive will be
seen coming, and he will approach until
within easy range, if the hunter remains
quiet. In this way many foxes are secur-
ed each year. But in the majority Of in
stances the two dogs are not second,d by
the men. Then they go chasing on and
baying hour after hour, until they have
worn out the day, and perhaps the night,
in the pursuit.
Sometimes the fox, tired of the chase,
takes to his hole. The men, hearing the
baying at fixed point, know what has
happened. Occasionally they go to the
assistance of the dogs. Then with
long withe or lumber pole, cut from the
woods, they explore to find the direction
of the hole, and, cutting down from
above, reach the fox in his home. In
unearthing the fox there is usually n
tussle. Plato, in m agony of excite
ment, perceiving by his exquisite sense
of smell that the fox is just in advance
of the shovels in the hole, i'll spite of all
prohibitions dives in among the imple-
ments, Grams his long, slim head into the
fox-hole, and moment later, with n
smothered yell, pulls backward. What
has happened Tue little hunted fugitive
in the hole has turned upon his pursuer
anc has planted his small, sharp, foxy
teeth in the most sensitive part of that
wonderful nose which is Plato's grandest
characteristic. Plato continues to pull
and yell, and the fox, finally. rather
than be drawn out into open day, let's CO.
Plato's nose has become quite crooked
in consequence of these encounters
The shovels resume. Then old Hero
comes up warily, and, as the fox is I'M
earthcd, Hero's ponderous jaws close
upon poor Reynard's Uranium, and it is
crushed like an egg-shell; and the men,
saying that there is zone varmlnt the
less" in the neighborhood to kill the
turkeys, go triumphantly home.
There is another issue which often re-
suits to the hounds from "holing" fox.
The men occasionally pay no attention
to their beseechings, but leave the two
canine friends to their own devices. In
that case Plato sometimes turns himself
into an excavator. He uses his strong
fore-legs and broad paws in digging.
AS the fox-holes are usually in sandy
knolls, he is enabled to make considern-
BILE progress. Holes made by his work
and running several yards into the hill
side have been discovered. Notwith-
standing his uniform failures to reach
the fox by this method, he continues to
practice the art of digging with unabated
enthusiasm. The notion that he will III
timately dig ont a fox is evidently one OF
his cherished Authorizations.
The tenacity and endurance of the
J hounds are best seen when they are left
J wholly to themselves in their hunting,
as they often are for weeks together.
They will be absent from home upon
one of their "hunting sprees" for perhaps
J thirty-six hours, and engaged during all
that time in the chase, pursuing by night
, as well as by day. Plato returning from
J such dissipation is sight to see. He
went away full-feshed and sleek, he re-
I turns n mere sack of bones, SO terrific
| have been the excitement and exertion.
! If it is cold and wet, as it is apt to be in
this mountain region i'll autumn, he Is
permitted to come into the kitchen and
lie down behind the stove with the cat
For season he is merely sluggish clay,
( sleeping constantly, or waking only to
, eat voraciously or to avoid the broom OF
the housewife. After about three days he
J is recuperated, and starts off again, fresh
!, as ever to meet his cousin Hero, doubt
less by appointment, and the pair set Out
for another episode in their wild career.
Such life would speedily destroy any
animal organization less enduring than
that of the hound.
The gentle side of Plato's nature
. is best seen in his dealings with Miss
Sylvia, the cat. As We are sitting upon
the piazza, a CLEAN of pure milk-white
comes whirling and dancing suddenly
around the corner of the house upon
the green lawn. A glance tells lis that il
is Miss Sylvia in pursuit of some imagi'
nary object. AS she sees her canine
friend recumbent at our feet, with O
quick, joyful step and serious air she
comes up on the piazza to greet him.
She is very affectionate creature. She
advances to Plato slowly, and, softly
purring, walks directly under his raised
head, touches his jowls with her arched
his face. Then she turns and walks
bling her furry sides against his throat
q
little disdainfully to give her room t.
pass. If he still remains stern and cold
as he usually does--and utterly re-
, gardless, she then looks up in his face
raises her right fore-paw daintily ant
, gives soft pat with it upon one Of his
long, pendulous, silken ears. This, at
, Satisfy says, generally "fetches him.
Plato rises and glances upward at Ut
sheepishly, MS if he would say, "What
does she want with me? despise this
nonsense :" and then he puts his long
nose down against Miss Puss and gently
, pushes her off the piazza on to the grass
Then Plato returns and sits gravely
down by us upon his launches with 4
) very dignihed air, MS if he had performed
an important family duty. Miss Puss
endures this cheerfnlly. She is evi
IDENTIFY little afraid to tritie with Plato
? and quite willing to be treated by hin
as IN inferior if she can retain his goot
t opinion. 1t is quite clear, also, tina
, Plato is little ashamed of the senti
mentality of their friendship. 1t is rs
t serted that upon one occasion whei
, Miss Sylvia was unusually familiar Plat
went so far as to take her in his moutl
and drop her into tub of rain-wate
, which stands Just at the corner of thu
house; hut, upon cross-examination, tn.
a evidence of this did not seem to me suf
! ficient. There can be no doubt, how
; ever, that Plato does not like publicl.
, to own his friendship for the cat. HI
would unquestionably be very unwilling
, to have his cousin Hero know of it.
! have not been able to impress Sal
. sify with my ideas of Plato. He re
! CARDS "that fool of dog" as failure
: Satisfy is to me perpetual delight
His utter ignorance of the different va
! rieties of trees and Of the birds we se
q is amazing.
o As soon as we came here establishe,
little camp for picnickiHg about mill
hal,y, tho mill IN tha IaaY uopla,