The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-21
rs de Lord,s trufp, cried Rir Sal

go tnoo life wild kinder head an heart; it's
agin' natur',"
OATS de Lords trufr' cried Big Sal.
The children knew of course that the
reference was to little Crochet, dead long
ago, and SO they sat silent and thought
full.
Yes-yes, subj member de time des
ez well es eff 'twuz yistiddy, maybe better
We put out, we did, bout light; an TO we
went mile up jumped a grey-de reds
hadn't come in den-an' here dey had it
roun an 'Toun' same ez chasin' a rabbit.
L wuz to take keer er de little Marster but
bless yo' soul! he amt gi me time ter do
dat. 1 alters shill b'lieve dat him an dat
gray pony had some deep partnership wild
one anudder, bekaze eff it hadn't been fer
dat, de little Marster would "a been drug
out de saddle whilst dey runnin' thro de
scrub pines an de black jacks. Dey went
skeetin' here an dar, an when de dogs
ketched, dar wuz de little Marster, an de
pony, right in mongst UNI. Hits SO, ez
sho ez I'm a-settin' here"
Fountain paused and sighed, then he
went on; Il speck my blood IL be het up
eff hear de horn a-blowin' and de dogs a
yelpin', but I'm lots too old fer dem kind
er doin's. Let UNI call on Johnny Bapter
He may not be so mighty KNOWN, but
he's young and soople. But in times now
gone, mo- speshually when de reds come in
an driv de greys out, know'd de feedin'
groun', an de promenade of all de foxes
fun here ter de river-evey one unum.
An mo- dan dat, know whar one oil red
stays right now. He's ez big ez a cur dog.
Folks tried der level bes' for ter ketch dat
OF fox TO de war. Dey brung dogs here
frum away off yam, but he des played wild
UNI. He kin tell houn' fun a house dog
by de bark, an time he hear one after
midnight, he done gone-he done up an
gone! He got white patch 'twixt his
eyes, an on count er dat dey call i'm
Scour-Face."
"Scar-Face," Buster John corrected.
''Why, he's the fox they are going. to
catch"
Fountain laughed softly. "Oh, dey er
gwine ter ketch i'm? Well, after he's
cotch, hope dey'll show i'm ter me. Scour-
FATE, err Seyar-Face, 1 wanter see what
dat white mark is 'twixt his eyes"
''They are going to bring Birdsong dogs"
explained Buster John.
''Well, dey'll halter sing, bird song er
some yuther kinder song fore dey ketch
dat fox"
Besides all the other dogs. Joe Maxwell
is to bring Hodo," remarked Buster John.
81 hear tell er dat dog" replied Foun-
tain. "Dey say he sho is a mover. But,
shucks! you kin hear dat kinder talk bout
mos any dog. But dish yer Hoodo got ter
have brains ez we'll as legs eff he ketch oil
Scour-Face. I'm a-talSin' now, sho."
"Where does old Scar-Face stay, Uncle
Fountain" asked Buster John.
IN van, cross re road fun de gin house?
We'll, he stay right dar. Eff you wuz ter
go out er door dar an holler right loud,
he'd hear you, less'n he's promenadin
some'rs else. He been dar dis long time.
Dew don't a week pass but what / sees
him slippin' an slidin' long. He moves
des like. a shadder: once an awhile he'll
stop an look at you, but mos er de time
its fwiffl an he done gone. He got sense
same ez folks"
Buster John asked Fountain a great
MANY questions about Scar-Face, with the
result that he made up his mind to see
the fox himself. His curiosity anected
Sweetest Susan, and she expressed a de-
sire to see old Scar Face. AS for Dru-
sila, she didn't care one way or the other.
So long as there was no bubble and no
live nightmares around, she was satisheu
at least, she was not contentious; though
she predicted now, as she had been DONG
ali day long, that the children would keep
on foolin' 'roun' an gwine whar dey got
no business tell some kind er creetur wouio
snap UNI up. an walk OFF wild UNI.
Tt was an easy matter for Buster John
and Sweetest Susan to say they would
like to see old Scar-Face, the red fox, but
how to see him was a very different mat
ter. They might walk through the broom
sage" every day for week, or month,
or year, and never see him; they might
sit in the fence corner and peep between
{ the rails from sun-up till shutdown, and
never catch a glimpse of him Old scar
Face would see them. Oh. yes! no doubt
about that. 1t was his b isiness to see
without being seen. He began to learn