Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-08
BLUE GRASS HOUNDS.
An Exciting Run After.an old Fox iR
 Illinois.

| Illinois.
 IFrom the American FieldsI Having call out of town some five miles last evening, coupled my four hounds and l let them go along. After seeing my patient
 I 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 smartest foxes my dogs have ever run. Sine was up to all kinds of tricks, such as fence-walking, taking ! to dust roads and freshly ploughed 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 8 mile. Then he jumped her, and she doubled right back to the other hounds. Then you should have heard that 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 ploughed fields apparently as well as on grass or leaves.
 After they had been running about one hour became convinced that they were go- ing to kill her. So endeavored to keep as near to them possible. Ball seemed to have scared the wits out of her when he first \ jumped her, and got her badly rattled. 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 @ ! thick hedge fence on one side of the corn be- tween 1t and @ wheat stubble. l 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 Bail ran the fox about seventy l five yards north, when it dodged through the hedge with Ball after it. Then it ran back ! down the hedge, south toward me, with Ball grabbing at it and the others running on the | other side of the hedge. It saw that Ball would catch it if it took to the corn again, so \ it dodged back on my side of the hedge, and ' there FIirt 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 Flirts assistance. She and the fox were in the hedgerow among the weeds and briars, and I never saw such \ fighting as took place then. Flash ran in \ and the fox got him by the nose and nearly tore it off. By that time Ripper got there,
 and plunged, 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 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 clinehed, and Ball got it by the back behind the shoulders and
 began shaking it, and slinging fox and dogs
 around promiscuously. The fox in it's death
 grab caught Nip's ear and tore it badly 50
 had to stitch it together when got home.
 It now has the appearance of grow
 ing 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 muscles and weighing 131a pounds. I had run her often before and was determined
 to do her some time on top of the ground. I never had fox bite up my dogs as this one
 did, but it was much owing to the place in
 which they had to fight her.
 I had this fox strapped on my horse in ! just two hours after Ball jumped her. It ! was one of the most exciting kills ever | witnessed, and one long to bs remembered. But such is the work done by the famous | fox hounds of the Blue Grass Kennels of | Illinois.