The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
SPORT In A COYOTE CHASE.
VIEW WINTER DITERsIoH ron RESI-
DENTS on COLORADO SPRINGS.

In Respect Of the Game-The Bright Cos
tunes OF the Men and the Women I'm,
the Invigornting Dash Across tho Prairie
"The coyote chase. said an Eastern man WHIT
has lately returned from the West, is. / be-
lieve. q new diversion peculiar TO Colorado
Springs. know Of no other American city. In
deed. whore so novel a form Of amusement
could have been devised. 1t is one OF the most
interesting results OF that minRling OF English
men and native born, which Is the rarest fea-
ture OF the social and business life at the
Springs. TIL coyote chase. which during the
present winter has become the prevailing recre-
alton. is thus, in every sense OF the word. an in
ternational sport. II may be described briefly as
the regulation English fox hunt with transat-
lantic trimmings. You simply supplant the
English fox by an up-to-date American prairie
wolf. substitute the barren rolling plains for
che hilly and wooded fields OF the fatherland.
and there you are.
II am as gamy a chap as the rest OF them.
and so, OF course. this was Just the thing for
mo. IL IL true that l slightly demurred on the
ground that 1 had not been astride a horse for
twenty years and feared to trust myself to the
mercies of one OF the spirited Kentucky high
breds which are imported exclusively for the
coyote chase. but my friend. the Englishman.
Get my mind at rest on that score. The club
kept constantly on hand. for Just such tender
foots as myself. an old-fashioned sulky and a
gentle. obliging beast. and Of course l wouldn't
object to following the chase in this con-
veyance. merely as a guest and a spectator.
Perhaps I was half ashamed-one Of my sport
ing blood. too-to stoop so low as to avail my
self OF this subterfuge. but 1t was no time for
empty pride. and SO. Nike a good Christian. Twas
early on hand that e~ventful Sunday morning
tho best coyote hunts. 1 regret to say, take
place on Sunday-just as the sun was peepinR
above the edge OF the prairie and casting Its
pink tints upon the snow OF Pixies Peak.
Shortly after my arrival. glancing down the
road, / caught a glimpse OF a ~leisurely couple
on horseback. proceeding quietly to the 81 P0so
stables. the appointed meeting place. They
were two bright dots upon the landscape; tho
man in knee breeches. high top boots and a
close fitting hunters coat. the lady in a long
dark blue skirt. a bright red jacket and a natty
derby hat. The horses were the finest Ken
tucky breed: large and sleek, with erect head.
q step that sent the sporting blood thrilling
through your veins. and n tall locked
in true English style. simultaneously. in
the opposite direction. and far in the
distance, appeared another pair. similarly
clad and in a few moments the whole land
scape east. south. west and north was dotted
with these dainty figures. l felt somewhat
awkward as they drew near and greeted me
with true English cordially. With my sulky
and my business clothes l was In every way in
SHARP contrast 10 altDlS European picturesque
ness, and l had half a mind to sneak back to
the hotel. However. it was too late to make
s Sold s iroht ti 1 s&aTIed u pSYe m an sal R ", inMa Gd a
feeling. l must confess. more like n thief than
II was not the only one. however, unprovided
with o mount. There was a poor, little hump
backed darky--I think they called him Pete
sion was about to move. Pete was seated upon
What was sppsrentIy an old pine boy, about
two wheels and propelled by an ancient and
somewhat woebegone white horse. The most
wooden box. over which Pete zealously stood
guard. Each OF its four sides was pierced with
and through each one OF these holes protruded
a long tapering nose, "a set Of very fine and very
and two small flashing eyes-the whole (Which
was swapping and snarling. and rolling IN a
m aPeee sis S1ee Foss several Sc a,y S'df sgr prasf in m mSit es-
ttmation. To him and his small box was cyl
Pete was very proud OF his charge and rode his
box with great contentment. hardly deigning
s @e9 GlSe @ of the 4 s co%siina ahs G %eye a ahe hosnds
themselves; they did not, relish their Tempo
i EsTy p abs}r G dea Tsres an aIteT upaa tb an 6i6S ie to
OF the fugitive coyote; for the present. how
eyer s0s x the yr wsrs S9D MifS ! to s, Hife their 5oar time 0Dera Tss
BY a string in the hands of the trusty Pete: but
the moment had not yet arrived to put the
are The genuine English foxhounds and arr are
imported directly TOR these hunts, The sight
blood Of one more lethargic than L.
I'm a moment we were of with a Gathering
200 yards ahead Of Pete and the hounds. and
sion, II was q beautiful and unusual sight:
syes and brilliantly hued riding habits.
the the men og w tall and dh,1 mpscula HI r the t EeTy
Horses superbly. now at an easy canter.
nov, at a tr9t, and now at Q leisurely walk.
raisasnS " Wag ,saS on, the enc Outcome G11iS U OF the m1 day's
sRoT 1.eh AS for Fl nfEEs ks lce ! may ut have sTrs added S6t to % the he
pi-ctuFesTueness s'' 70 add to my mise miser po' | dis
covered that I had drawn a blank not only in
% Ssyst sSSntYSe e oId na sp for IA ali ny w sSn worth, t ! lami
AVA at the reins like a New England farmer.
but couldn't make the darned thing go faster
my friends were drawing rapidly ahead Of
We were upon the rairie road. bordered by
grazing lands for miles and miles TO north and
south, ,inclosed by barbed wire fence, Pre-
gumably the master OF the hounds thought II q
favorable moment to enter the prairie. for in a
few moments | saw the men busily pulling up
to the ground with their feet. Over this. out
upon the open, and undulating prairie, the
i Gan along e@!i II Tie rear. N Alter we !; + had %fG iii p D%aPdi
over, a delegation remained behind to put the
good as new-a delicate. point Of honor with
coyote hunters. Then the company, stretch:
out upon the open prairie. The sun was now
well up; the faces of the men and women be-
gan to flush with expectation; and the still
Imprisoned dogs. as they perceived themselves
now fairly upon their old trail. began to snap
more sayagely. As for me. my sporting blood
was by this time all up, ana / hardly noticed
the fact that my carriage was constantly falling
into the numerous prairie-dog holes in the way
and tipping dangerously from side to side.
Suddenly the master OF the hounds paused
upon the crest OF II hill and gave the signal to
halt. The horses were at once refined in, and IA
silence oil death settled upon the whole COM
pany. The master of the hounds had detected
In the heavily weed-grown ravine below n pack
OF sneaking coyotes. There were five or tx Of
them lying low in the tall prairie grass. but
they had not escaped the ~practiced eye Of the
master OF the hounds. In a half second we
saw him wave his cap. the signal for the I'M
ieashing OF the, dogs. Pete, gave the rope
. sudden pull. the back of the box
the. air In a bunch. With their tails
and noses almost on a line. they started
quickly for their master. Then they paused
for a single second, got one glimpse OF the
coyote pack, and In a jiify were upon its heels.
The coyotes, however. know too much 10 keep
together, They know that the hounds never