The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-14
ON THE TURNER PLANTATION
BY JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.


while Miss Carter tapped hor horses name
gently with her riding whip and seemed to
be enjoying the scene. They waited a long
time, and Joe was beginning to grow
disheartened, when Harbert suddenly ex-
claimed:
"Look yender, Marse Joe! What dat
gwine 'oross de Bermuda pastur?"
Across the brow of the hill slipped a
tawny shadow-slipped across and disap-
peared before Miss Garter could see it.
That's old Sandy" cried Joe, now
watch for Jonah!n'
again, coming nearer and nearer. Then a
larger and darker shadow sprang out of the
woods and swept across the pasture, run
ming swiftly and yet with the regularity of
machinery. At short intervals a little puff
of vapor would rise from this black shadow
| and then the clear voica of Jonah would
coming ringing over the valley. Then the
rest of the dogs, a group of shadows, with
musical notes, swept across the Bermuda
field.
.Oh. how beautifuln!' exclaimed Miss
Carter olapping her little hands.
He'll pass here, and 90 to the fence Wonder,
and if he isn't scared to death you'll see a
pretty trick"
It was a wide circle the fox made after he
passed through the rmu field. He
crossed the little stream that ran through
'ho 'aA1~Js q plAS GAiGhob. ldA q
quarter of a mile along a plantation path,
and then turned and came down the fallow
ground that lay between the creek and the
hill where Joe and Miss Carter, with Har-
bert, had taken their stand. 1t was a COM
paratively level stretch of nearly half a
mile. The old corn rows ran lengthwise
the field, and down one of these old Sandy
came in full view of those who were wait
ing to see him pass. He was running rap
idly, dut not at full speed, and, although
his tongue was hanging out. he was not dis
tEessed. Reaching the fence 200 yards
away from the spectators. he clambered
lightly to the top, sat down on a rail and
began to lick his fore paws. stopping occa-
%slonally. with one paw suspended in the air,
to listen to the dogs. In Il moment or two
moro Jonah entered the field at the head of
the valley. Old Sandy. carefully balancing
himself on the top rail of the fence, walked
It for 100 yards or more, then gathering
himself together sprang into the air and
fell IN the broomsedgs fully twenty feet
away from the fence.
oh, hope the dogs won't catch him.
exclaimed Miss Carter. He surely de-
serves to e~scape.w
lie got Sense like folks" said Harbert.
HE stayed on the fence too long. just
look at Jonuh.' cried Joe.
The hound came down the field like a
Whlri"lnd. lie WIS running at least thirty
yards to the left of tho furrow the fox had
followed
: why, he isn't following the track of the
TO-" exclaimed Miss Carter. | thought
, hounds trailed foxes by scent"
! They do" said Joe, hut Jonah doesn't
. need to follow it as the other dogs do. Ths
; dog that runs with his nose to the grounc
! can never catch a red fox
Isn't he beautiful.' cried the young lad,
as Jonah rushed past, his head up and his
y I eonorous voice making music in the air
lie topped tue fence some distance abov
, the point whore the fox had left it. lost tn,
: tran, and made a sweeping circle to tn,
: right, increasing his speed AZ he did so
, picked up the drag a quarter of n mil
IRON the fence, and pushed on more eagerl,
Imam ever. The rest of the dogs had over
run tho track at the point where the 70
: naa Turned to enter the field. but tho,
: finally found it again, and went by "a
spectators in fine style, running togethe
very prettily. At the fence they lost tn
tran, and for some minutes thew were cnst