The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-09-30

HIN uoWli we sat In our saddles, hearts
beating like pulse in q fever, eager, alert,
expectant; the time-keeper threw up his
hand with shout, the dogs were loosed,
and away, men, horses, dogs, moved and
thrilled by common impulse-one wild
wave of thrilling excitement
Of course, Jute Sycamore's fussy little
Scotch ratter managed to get away about
breath of a second before the other dogs,
and away he went, yelping and snarling,
and not having the remotest idea what he
was going after or where he was going, and
the first stump be saw, he started for it, in
tending to stop and dig under il. Before
he reached it, Limp Ramsey's long-legged,
lop-eared hound went looping past him like
flash of brown light. The pesky, irritable
little ratter, indignant that any dog should
pass him, made jump and caught one OF
the Tapping ears, bringing the hound to
the ground with howl rs long as a clothes
lsne. Right behind them was the big New
foundland," and he numbered over the two
struggling dogs, and came down on his side
with grunt, and before he could get up
Reb followed his nose into the snarl of
dogs and began chewing and shaking every
thing he could feel in his way.
Two "yallah dogs came up and took
sides, and then as each i" fox dog reached
the scene of action he abandoned the chase,
climbed to the top of the pile of struggling
dogs, took hold of the apex of the pyramid
and began to shake it, only to be clawed
md to1,a 1
the next dog that climbed to the top.
In moment there was sphere of dogs
rolling around on the hill, about five feet in
diameter. Now and then, as it rolled, dog
would fall out or drop off, but he would
climb right back again and take hold of the
hrst ear that afforded him grip. When the
ball rolled down hill, the dog that was ON
the bottom would come to the top, nm d
when it rolled up hill--for it rolled and
tumbled in every direction-the dog on top
would be rolled to the bottom Only the
dog in the middle never changed his base.
His position was one of great confinement,
and ne was encompassed about by them that
fought his hurt, but his opportunities for
doing good biting were in no wise restrict.
ed, because no matter in what direction he
reached and snapped, he found what he waa
after.
Well, Bart. Hilleary, not having seen his
Newfoundland for some time and know
ing that he was somewhere in the heart of
the calm center" of that canine cyclone,
and fearing that that calm center was moi
the best place in the world for dog of re-
firing disposition and domestic tastes, and
desiring to know just how much of him was
left for future usefulness, and for fox hunts
vet to be, blew a horn to call the dogs back
The only dog that wasn't in action, the
one lone well trained fox hound on the field
that stood looking from the maelstrom TO
the distant fox, hesitating whether to Join
his comrades in Donnybrook, or speed
away to the chase, came trotting back the
minute he heard the horn, apparently glad
to have some one decide q troublesome
question for him.
And the man who owned the dog was so
fghtin' mad TO see any man interfere
with his dog, and call back the only good
dog in the pack, that he rode over to Bart,
and with one awful blow knocked the hunt.
ing-bugle into the middle of sassafras
thicket, and the astonished bugler out of
his saddle. Then a ''sang digger" who
had every reason to believe that his " VAL
lab !" dog had been killed and eaten long
ago, thirsting for revenge, hauled the striker
off his horse and "rastled T" him down in q
second.
JEFF. Thompson, who knew that blind
Reb was right among the midst of
that thar carnival" and was having a good
time, if he was out of sight, laid wrathful
hands on the "'sang digger" and began to
maui him numerically.
Bart. Hilleary, dazed and bewildered, goi
up on his feet, and seeing q discussion go.
ing on, remembered only that he had been
hit, and waded in one general principles,
and no questions asked. Then the Rev.
Jasper Bogardus, the mildest, best old man
that ever pounded pulpit, took hold of
Bart. and JEFF. to part them, when some
body thought he was taking hand himself,
and the next minute had his hands in the
parsons hair, and then the whole crowd
sailed in.
Everybody howled and everybody swore
except the parson. He only said BLESS
my heart !" but every time he said it he
fetched some man diff in the jaw that
made his teeth rattle.
The mound of men was higher than the
sphere of dogs, and it changed its shape
more constantly. Now and then man
would crawl out and go apart from the con-
Aict moment, while he tenderly held his
nose in both hands, or petted his cheek, OF
softly soothed an ear that appeared in dish.
abille. Then he would swear and howl, and
How everybody yelled! Once the very
dogs paused in their own toll, and looked
in dumb amazement at the writhing, whirl-
ing, yelling mass of profane humanity that
was trampling the life out of the grass, and
then, inspired by the example of their mas
ters, they went at it again with renewed
vigor.
But in little while evidences of disinte-
grafton were visible in the tumbling sphere
of dogs, which gradually crumbled into
muttering atoms, that separated with re-
morseful means, and squatting, each atom
on its own launches, began to make the
usual surgical appliances to such of its hurts
as were within reach. The human contiI.
gent thawed out and resolved itself into ito
component parts, each component loudly
expressing his joyous hope, which was de-
clared conviction, that all the other compo.
nents had got enouoh of H.
came down from the pin oak into which
had assembled, being short of stature, in
order to obtain bird's-eye view of the pa
rade ground, and the mournful procession
of growing men and muttering, whining
dogs started home, escorting a marvellous
collection of bites and bruises.
And that was the first and the only fox
hunt ever saw.
Oh the fox? Well, the fox didn't run
two hundred yards. When it heard the
sounds of the conflict it turned and trotted
back to the top of q little hill about two
hundred feet away, and sat there and watch.
ed the fight with the greatest enjoyment,