Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-04-18
Published April 3, 1888.
The Pains of Sport.

A correspondent of The st. James
Gazette writes: "Last week l was in
very good courslng country, and while
taking a walk [ heard some excited men
calling Loo, Loop I stood still, and
presently saw hare Swimming the grass
of the great field which / was crossing.
The little creature headed directly for
me, and saw that she was followed by
black dog and red one. She came as
straight as an arrow, and [ soon heard
the walloping sound of the grey
hounds feet. Poor puss did not see me,
and thus [ had the advantage of observ-
ing the first turn. The black dog quick
ened his speed, dashed forward, lifted
his head with an arch of the neck, like
the curve of snake, and then struck at
the hare. The hunted creature whisked
sharply round, and then the red dog
struck. This turned the hare again to-
ward me, and she passed me SO closely
that [ might have hit her. Ii ever [ saw
agony made manifest it was in that poor
creatures frame. In the moment that
she took to pass me l saw that she
seemed to be gazing backward, and her
great eye looked exaggerated in size.
Her back was arched up, and each spring
was like the uuloosing of bow. She
had long way to go, and before she had
travelled far the dog got up to her. The
black dog was grim dog, and l watched
him poise himself carefully as he
gathered his energy for another effort.
The hare again twitched herself round as
if by magic, and the black dog scram-
bled to the left, losing dozen yards or
CO RIIt no L
brought puss back toward me and
snatched at her. A piece of fluff flew into
the air, and the hare screamed (such a
screamD; but the greyhound could not
hold her, and seemed choked by fur.
The black was game and savage; he and
the hare swept away toward some
furze, making quick curves as
the dog again and again drew on
her. At last the greyhound tagged, and
the hare's turns grew feebler and fee
bier. The red dog was beaten, and the
black did the work alone; he made one
violent effort, struck, and fell on his
side, and the hare literally crawled away.
The black dog lay still, and the sports
men came up. One of them said: IF
that hare had gone another fifty yards
| she'd have killed the black and indeed
the greyhound was terribly punished.
Now, sir, had not the red dog been
choked off by the fluff, the hare must
have been killed, and killed after few
minutes Of acute suffering and violent
effort. The men who followed the course
were kind, jolly fellows, but they had
undoubtedly been instrumental in caus-
ing an agony far more prolonged than
any that is endured by pigeon during
its brief fight from the GATHERING trap.
1t happened that the hare won her race
for life, but the animals next coursed
were not such Witches and the same
sort OF performance was repeated on a
less exciting scale. There was a loud
cry OF There she goes ! then the arrow
like flight OF the dogs; then the swift
whirling to and fro, and then the long
quaverlng screech as the game was
whipped off the ground. It was all ex-
citing to strange degree. But, once
more, what about the hare? I saw one
hare whose hind leg was torn from the
quarter to the bend by one grip from a
dog that failed to keep his hold. She
gave dozen more turns after that clutch
was laid on her and fancy she suffered
to some extent. [ am aware that the en-
joyment given to the men was great: and
[ saw that they must be deriving health
from their tramp over the odoroue
plowed land and the pleasant grass. But
a truly humane person, such as / trust /
am, cannot help encouraging various OBJ
stinate questionings.
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