Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15

ASlA ure and benefit as
paper chasing. More
resl exercise may be got in less time from
running than from any other sport, except
,psrring. and the former has the very great
advantage that it may be prscticed In the
open air.
The objection which most boys have to
running is that it lacks excitement. grant
that trotting dozen times or more around
quarter-mile cinder path may be monoso-
nous. but when the three or four miles COW
cred is over pleasant stretch OF the open
country, embracing field, wood and meadow
land, following trail laid with intent to
deceive; and when there is added besides
the element of competition reused BY the
desire Of each RUNNER to be first In" the
sport is one that should appeal to every
led.
Requirements for the Sport
The stock-iu-trade required for paper
chase is verv simple, all that 10 necessa ry
being light canvas or leather bag with
o1ep mouth, which is hung over each hare's
shoulders and quantity Of paper for the
scent" The hares are allowed start Of
from to Is inmates, depending on the
length Of the chase and the character OF the
country. The allowance should be sufh-
cient to permit the hares to get well out OF
sight before the hounds start
Every halt dozen strides or SO the hares
should drop a small handful of the scent
The paper used should not be torn into
small bits, as is usually done, but into
strips about eight inches long. These are
more consplcuo than others, and instead
Of being blown away by the wind they curl
around the grass and bushes. forming very
distinct trail As long as there is any see 1t
left in the bags the hares must lay tair
and continuous trail When the scent 10
exhausted, however, the bsg is dropped
This is signal to the hou-ds that their
prev has started "home" on "bee-line,
and they are of course at liberty to follow
likewise. The hares must surmount all OBJ
stacles over which they lay the trail They
NAV cross fordabie streams only, and must
keep within hailing distance of each other.
Two Sorts of Packs in Pursuit.
Often both 'slow" and fast" packs start
In pursuit. The slow pack receives a start
on the fast of about one minute for each
mile to be run. Each hound OF the fast
pack is his own master, and may follow the
trail at whatever pace seems best to him.
The members Of the slow pack, however,
must keen together until the break" is or
dered They are under the direction OF
master Of the hounds and two whips. The
master acts as q pace-maker, adapting his
gait to that of the slowest hound, while the
outv of the whips is to keep the stragglers
together. When the point is reached where
the hares have dropped the scent bag, the
master orders the break for home. Then
She pack becomes fast. The master ceases
70 order. the whips leave the stragglers to
hOma
straight and fast as he can.
The ''riIne" of the hares is that of the
glover Of the two home. If the first hound
IN reaches home fewer minutes after the
bs-es than the start the latter received, the
mack wins: otherwise the hares are the
victors. Often the hares are required to
gain some minutes on their original start IN
order to win. Should the hares in their
haste or through neglect fail to lay fai.
trail the run may be protested The de-
c;sion in this case is left to the master OF
hounds.
Decefvtns the HoundA
Whenever the nature of the COURSE per-
n,I.s the hares should isy 8 false scent On
the srtfulness with which this is done de-
v,sD6s the success of the bares and the con-
fusion of the packs BY the use of . little
iudicious deception the hounds may be leo
- rnp hundreds of wards farther than the
be-es and also to lose much valuable time.
The hares, Of course, should take turns In
lsving these false trails. For instance, at a
crossroads one hare continuing straight on
laws the scent as faulty as he falrly can.
The other turns TO the rignt or left, dropping
a verv strong scent for 81 or 100 yards, and
then gra lually making it fainter until 1t
disappears altogether, after which he re-
Joins MS companion by short cut
The hounds come dashlng along, and see-
ing oniv the false trail-especially if the
first handful or two OF the real has been
dropped in the ditch-follow headlong.
When they get to the end they look right
Bnd left, and finally concluding that they
have been hoaxed, return 10 the junction OF
the roads to find the cal trail By way of
variety, the real trail may be made faint at
the next crossroads and the false strong.
Mindful Of this last experience, the hounds
viii probably follow the latter and again
come to grief
Isow One Good Chase Ended
I reccllect one hare and hounds chase in
which / took part few years ago that ter
minated rather disastrously for the hares
After following the trail holly for about
three miles We came upon one of the pair
resting on the stump Of tree. He had
turned his snkle and was suffering from q
bad sprain His companion, knowing that
ve would soon be along, and no. wishing to
spcil the afternoons run entirely, had gone
IN ahead We left two OF our number to
accompany the unlucky fellow home while
we continued the chase, supposing, now
;nat there was but one hare, that We would
have no false trails to follow
What WAS our surprise then, in crossing
an extensive bit of meadow land, on which
vas pastured herd of cattle to come sud.
denly to the end of the trail. We looked
70 the right and left, but no tiny bit of
naner could we see that would give clew
20 the direction in which the hare had dis.
appeared. Certainly it was no false scent
for the country round about was SO level