The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-06-04

shook hands over the contract in the
| most solemn fashion. In a few mo-
ments they were eating breakfast
which was very good one for that
| part of the country, even if the coffee
was made of parched rye and sweet
ened with honey. Shortly afterwards
the hunters were ready to ride to the
field. 1t was still dark, but dawn was
beginning to show itself, and by the
time the final start was made-the
children's granfather having to give
some directions to Aaron-dawn was
fairly upon them, and the chickens
were fiuttering from their roOsts to the
ground, and walking obviously about
in the half-light-
Now, old Scar-Face, confident of his
powers, had done a very foolish thing.
During the night, and while the rain
was still falling, he had ventured to
reconnoitre the Abercrombie place. He
came out of the Sedge-field through the
bars, crossed the road, and went sneak
ing as far as the Clubhouse. Here he
stopped and listened. 20 The night was
still, but his quick ear heard noises
that would have been imperceptible
to human ears-the playful squeak of
a rat somewhere in the clubhouse, a
field mouse skipping through the
weeds, the fluttering of wings of some
night bird. He heard the barking of
dogs, too, but not a strange voice
among them. He heard the Spivey
catch dog, with his gruff and threaten
ing bark. Far away he heard a hound
bowling mour1fuliy. The hound was
evidently tied. Close at hand barked
the cur that had challenged Hodo; he
had not yet recovered his good humor.
But not a strange voice came to his
ears. This was easily accounted for.
The hounds that We're to pursue him
had been comfortably fed. and were
now fast asleep, while Hodo was curled
up in shavings, dreaming that he had
his mouth right on a fleeing fox. but
couldn't seize him. He whined and
moved his limbs as he dreamed, and
a providing cat that had paused to in
vestigate the noise in the shavings
fitted away. All the sounds that came
to old Scar-Faces ears were familiar;
so, from the clubhouse he sneaked to
the barn, as noiselessly as a ghost
pausing on the way to listen. Hearing
nothing, he went further until he was
under the caves of the barn, in one end
of which the horses of the huntsmen
were stabbed. Here he stopped and lis
tened for some time. What could the
silence mean? Peeping from the sedge-
field during the afternoon, he had
seen more than one horse and rider
pass along the road, and several whiffs
of strange dogs came to his sensitive
nose. He concluded that these men
and dogs meant another chase after
him; but he was not certain, and so,
came forth in the dark to investigate.
Usually. when hounds are taken
away from home and fastened up out
of sight of their masters, some of the
younger ones will get lonely and be-
gin to bark and howl. Old Scar Face
knew this well, but he didn't know that
seasoned dogs rarely ever make such
a demonstration unless they are hun
cry. Consequently, when he heard 10 |
barking and bowling, he was almost |
convinced that, after a nights foray, |
ne could return to the sedge-fie and i
sleep undisturbed the next day. Still |
there was a doubt, and to ease his |
fears he decided to test the matter |
more fully.
On fence near him a hen and half |
1 dozen pullets were peacefully roost-
ng. He crept up directly under the
len, gathered his strong legs under
1im, leaped upwards, and the next mo-
nent was cantering through the dry
weeds, dragging the squalling hen by
he wing. Surely the racket was suf-
icient to alarm the plantation At
he barn he dropped the hen, placed
| forefoot firmly upon her, and held his
read high to listen. There was GER
ainly a loud response to the hens
ilarm. The geese in the spring lot !
made a tremendous outcry, seconded by
he guineas, but the only dog that
parked was the cur that made a mis-
axe By attacking Hodo.
This certainly seemed to be a fair
est, and old Scar-Face was satisfied.
lie crushed the poor hens neck IN his
ruel jaws and put an end to her APP
zeal for help. He was not very
hungry, but he carried the hen home.
himself a hearty breakfast
n the morning. He ate a good ration.
owever, and then curled himself
nugly together until he looked like a
zig ball of yellow fur.
he was awake early the next MORN
ng, but before he was half through
lis breakfast the light of day was be-
inning to creep under the briars. when
lie heard long, mournful wall at the
Abercrombie place, followed by an
ther. How often he had heard this
vail 1t was the cry of fox-hounds.
lie stayed not to hear it repeated but
kipped out into the gray dawn. like
he shadow of fear stealing away from
he light.
end Part Ky