The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-28
BlUE-GRAss HouNDs.
An Exciting Two Hours Run After an OIL
Fox in Illinois.

An Exciting Two Hours Run After an Ole
Fox in Illinois.
Having a call out of town some five
miles last evening coupled my -four
hounds and let them GO along. After
seeing my patient started back. and
when within about three miles of town
turned loose the dogs. They soon
struck the trail of an old she-fOx,
which proved to be one of the smart.
est foxes my dogs had ever run. She
was up to all kinds of tricks. such as
fence-walking. taking to dust roads
and freshly plowed fields, doubles and
all fox tricks. The hounds trailed her
for about four miles when Ball got
mad and slipped off from the rest OF
the hounds, running silently for over
a mile. Then he jumped her and she
doubled right back to the other hounds.
Then you should have heard the old
rascal call for help. and it was not long
before he had it, too. Ball was close
up on the fox and he was mad enough
to stay there. They ran her through
freshly-plowed fields apparently as
we'll as on grass or leaves.
After they had been running about
one hour became convinced that they
| were going to kill her. So | endeav-
ored to keep as near to them as pos
sibie. Ball seemed to have scared the
wits out of her when he first jumped
her and got her badly ratified. She
made some very foolish runs through
open ground. Finally they got
her run down and she went into
very heavy piece of corn
and commenced lodging among the
corn rows and heavy weeds. Here
first one dog ran upon her and then
another. There was a thick hedge
fence on one side of the corn, betw cen
it and wheat stubble. | got up close
to the hedge and kept very quiet.
The fox. ran to the hedge several
times. and then turned back into the
corn again. Finally Ball made dash
at the fox and it ran right through the
hedge. with the dog after it. They
followed up the hedge, and the other
dogs had to look for place to get
through. They accomplished this
close to my horse. Ball ran the fox
about seventy-five yards north, when
it lodged through the hedge with Ball
right after it. Then it ran back down
the hedoe south. toward me, with Ball
grabbing at it and the others running
on the other side of the hedge 1t saw
that Ball would catch it if it took to
the corn again. so it lodged back on
my side Of'the hedge and there Flirt
grabbed it, Flash and Nip were in
the hedge trying to get through to
Ball. Flirt and the fox rolled about
on the ground like two dogs. Flash
and Nip heard the racket and at once
came to Flirt's assistance She and
the fox were in the hedgerOw among
the weeds and briars, and never saw
such fighting as took place then.
Flash ran in and the fox got him py
the nose and nearly tore it off. BY
that time Nipper got there, plunged
in, and the fox caught her nose.
In the meantime Ball was forcing
his way through the hedge, which
was very thick at this point. The fox
and three hounds were having a noisy
time in the weeds and briars when
Ball rushed in, and he. too, was caught
by the nose and got an ugly cut. By
this time the dogs had the fox clinched
and Ball got it by the back behind the
shoulders and began shaking it and
singing fox and dogs around promis-
cuously. The fox in its death grab
caught Nip's ear and tore it badly, so
] had to stitch it together when got
home. 1t now has the appearance of
growing together, which I sincerely
hope it will do
When picked up the fox found it
to be lean, lank, long-legged she fox.
very strong in muscle and weighing
thirteen and one-half pounds. had
run her often before and was deter
mined to do her some time on top OF
the ground. never had a fox bite up
my dogs as this one did. but it was
much owing to the place in which they
had to fight her.
| had this fox strapped on my horse
in just two hours after Ball jumped
her. 1t was one of the most exciting
kills ever witnessed and one long to
to be remembered. But such is the
work done by the famous fox hounds
of the Blue Grass kennels of Illinois
American Field.