The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09

! high in the air and covers ten lateral
| feet Mt rise. using the two nina
legs and right foreleg only, always holding
| the left one curved and In reserve. At this
stage u the chase its motion Is identical with
| that OF the mule cared deer 1t Is only when
| convinced that 1t must run for It's life that IL
puts down the left foot. brings It's holly as
close to the ground as the antelope and pro-
ceeds to leave crack in the atmosphere. At
this stage It is fully extended and dogs and
! horses are also doing all they know how. This
pace may be maintained for 600 yards or pos
| sibly for three quarters Of n mile. 1t depends
on the rabbit. The beast could make always
longer run IL 1t could he induced
| to do its best at the start. but this
1t will not do. Tho popular belief Is
| that jack rabbit il filled with conceit
and suffers from a conviction that there is
nothing on earth which can slide over the
| ground fast enough to interest II. This rabbit
when bounding away nthaf speed looks much
| like young fawn. and the tyro will generally
| take IL for n fawn It's tremendous ears then
| are not visible. and it seems to bc not less than
two and II half feet high at the shoulder. For
merly it was a habit OF cowmcn to shoot them
| with Winchcsters as they sat poised on some
| hummock, but their flesh Is not edible. unless
| a man is starving. and now they are killed only
as matter of sport with the dogs. The meat
| oil tne JhtkthbDlt, III Is lnOUEl', dS9lSlS IL
materially in running. as it is as tough and
strinsy as muscle Also for nine months in the
| year 1t Is infested by wolves" a black parasite
| which comes from an egg deposited undor the
| skin and reaches length OF half inch by Il
quarter inch in diameter
| Down here the married women and the girls
| get as much fun out of coursing the rabbits as
| the men folks. In fact. no coursing party Is
complete without the occupants OF couple OF
! side saddles, and they know how to ride
! They have not yet reached the refinement OF
| sitting astridc. and they do not seem to need
| it, Tho beauty Of rabbit coursng is that. as
the animals are plentiful. half dozen runs
| may be crowded into a forenoon and the horses
| and dogs be nothing the worse for it, The
| sport is distinctive of this part of the South
| west and Is not only worth following for
| itself but is worth looking at. Charles
Compton. a cattlsenan of English parentage.
whose ranch is in the northeastern part
| OF tho county. owns two couples OF as good
| dogs as are to bo found on the plains and hunts
them twice week. He began it five years ago
and now recalls with wonder that he once
| found something in such mildly diverting
things as golf and tennis. To him 1t is tho
| sport of sports. He is busy man ordinarily.
| but on the back of his favorite horse, with the
| dogs and the great hare streaming ahead Of
| him. cattle freights and kilograms and the
| Vaccinations Of the beef trust are forgotten.
| He has escaped from IA prnt-up Utica and the
| whole bouudess universe is his. A d"scrip-
| ton Of ono run with the Compton hounds will
serve for them all Tho fascination Of the
| chase comes not from variety but from inten-
| sty.
| 1t is early morning. The air, light and cool.
| blows from the east. The prairie Is starred
| with flowers. hardy enough to stand the
| lr1mp ht and scanning brilliantly and strangely
| out OF place in the brown grass. This grass is
| four inches high. but the ground under it is
| firm and springy and the growth does not in
| tcrfcre with the speed Of dogs or horses. Far
| in the distance rises Phantom Butte. blue and
| ominous like cloud. standing as an outpost OF
| the Chsos Mountains. Almost upon the hori-
| IONS edge Il line of trees shows that their roots
! are washed by a shallow stream. which In the
rains becomes a raging torrent. Tho yellow
| breasted field lark carols keenly from the grass
| and overhead the sparrow hawk cuts the air
with zigzag wing. There are five men and two
women in the party and they are we'll mounted.
| The horses are the small. nervous and closely
built product OF the praircs. with thin, buny
| legs and deep chests. They do not stride 50
| far the big horse Of the cities. but they pick
| it w faster. Their ability to @ far at their
| limit of speed Is due largely to the fact that
| they get little corn. which is heating. but all
| they can eat OF the most nutritious grasses in
| the world One Of them, ilfteon hand gray Of
| undoubted mustang ancestry, looks with an
unfrieudy eye at the dogs and pulls on the bit
! They are much petted, and it does not like
them Its dislike is simply jealousy. If al
| lowed to have the bit it would do its best to run
over them and Kill them. The dogs are cou-
| pled-slcck. graceful and powerful-and each
| couple is held by a stout cord. which passes
around riders wrist. They trOt quietly enough.
| though they know what is required Of them.
| and their eyes are beginning to blaze They
| are about TO indulge in their only dissipation.
| They are about to do the only thing they eau
| do we'll. OF these dogs only one has the rough
| coat of the Scotch dcerhound. but at any dis
lance above a mile and hnlf it is the fastest Of
| the lot. The others have skins like satin. and
they shiver little in the cold breeze. The
| leaders OF tho dogs ride abreast in the centre
! and the others are even with them. five yards
| between the riders When two miles from the
ranch house. lackrabhit springs from Il
| clump OF small weeds. 1t is 100 yards ahead
| and slightly to the right 1t bounds away in
| long. slow leaps. using only three feet. 1t
gets another fifty yards OF law and then
| the dogs are unleashed They have been strain
ing against tho cords and whimperng. Now
they arc OF like a bolt from crossbow and as
mute as an Indian. The greyhounl runs AWAY S
and no breath to spare. Simultaneously with
their rush the rabbit lcngthens its stride and
| begins to get down TO business. 1t is not scr-
ously alarmed IA vet. but its black. prominent
| eye is turned back and it is estimating the
speed at which it's foem"n are coming. As thcy
come near it will let out another link or two
until it is going its best and still not gaining.
| The dogs are allowed to put nifty yards between
| themselves and the horses before Compton
gives the word. Then the rcins are looscd.
| The rushing air sings in the ears The rid
crs feel the quick leaps Of the horses. hut their
ewes are fastened upon the chase, 1t is all in
| plain vcw-evcry foot Of it. 1t could be seen
| from two miles away The dogs are running
| wholly by sight and their chase is as silent as
| the grave and as relentless a| death. With n
| half milo behind them. and warmed to their
work, their quarry leads them hy scyenty-fl five
| yards and they strain to reduce the distance
| They can hear the roll Of the wcnty-cight
| hoofs behind. Wild hallOos come to them
| varied by the shrll call of a woman. These
| girls OF the Southwest are sitting we'll back,