The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-11

up. and he was going very nimbly and rap
idly. He soon disappeared, and the music
OF the pack died away as the dogs descend
ed into the depression below the hill Then
came the sharp, eager cry Of Hodo, close
at hand. The watchers saw him come
over a fence 100 yards away, like bird
and he ran towards them with head up and
tail down. Evidently his blood was up.
he swept by some distance from the
point where the fox had passed and Bus
ter John declared that he was not on the
track at ALL Joe Maxwell made no reply,
but save to Hodo the ST . al which told
the dog that the fox was not far away.
Again, as before, the dog increased his
speed, bearing closer to the drag, and this
time Joe Maxwell. with Buster John be-
hind him, rode rapidly in a parallel direc-
ton.
Il give him five more minutes" said
Hodo's master, but he's certainly a
game old fox"
Faster and faster went Butterfly FOR
several hundred yards, and then suddenly
drew rein. The valley before them afford
ed plain view, except for a ditch when
ran through the middle The dampness
there had attracted a growth of alders
brambles and such weeds and shrubbery
as thrive where the ground is wet. On
space of bermuda turf, dotted here and
there with small pine brushes. On the
further side of this ditch Hodo was run
ming. Suddenly he turned, crossed the
ditch and came flying back, while Joe
Maxwell rode toward him as fast as But
terfiy could go. Again Hodo crossed the
ditch, and as he did so Old Scar-Face
came out on the opposite side and went
careering across the open field. In a Sc
frfn nf mil v.Ig-
the view halloo, and in another moment
the dog had been across the ditch again,
and had Old-Scar Face in plain view
1t is safe to say that never in the
course of his life will Buster John ever
experience such sensations as he then
had, or behold such another spectacle as
was there enacted before his eyes. He
could only vaguely remember that he heard
the cry Of dogs behind him, and that the
voice of Hodo sounded like a deep and
continuous nurmur. Within the course Of
fifty yards the dog overran the fox and
turned and caught him before Old Scar
Face could get himself under way again.
And the funny part of it was that all
the other dogs were up in time TO give the
dead fox a good shaking before he got
cold.
When the hunters came up, Mr. Col
lingsworth pretended to believe that Music
had killed the fox, and Buster John was
astonished to see that Joe Maxwell claim
ed nothing for Hodo Mr.. Denis insisted
that Rowan or Ruth was the guilty party,
while Mr.. fitzpatrick declared that if kill
ing foxes was a hanging crime, he
wouldn't give a "Trip for Whalebone's
life These remarks were all jokes, some
Of them as old as the men that made
them. But Buster John didn't know that
why, the other dogs were not in sight
when Hodo and the fox came into the
field, and they didn't-ceme no till the fox
was caught and killed." Buster John as
serted
This statement seemed to make no i'm
preston on the others. 'Abercromble,
make the boy tell you tonight how much
Maxwell gave him to talk that way" re-
marked Mr.. Collingsworth.
Seeing that Buster Johns feelings were
hurt, Joe Maxwell turned to him laughing.
They're only joking" he explained.
'"rhey know very well that their dogs
would never have caught this fox"
why. Hodo was running him all around
here like a rabbit before the rest of the
dogs were in sight, and before they did
get in sight he had killed him." exclaimed
Buster John.
II believe YOU" cried Mr.. Collingsworth.
THAT dog of yours is a freak, Maxwell;
therein never be another Ike him. or
course wei have dogs that can catch red
foxes; this pack here can do 1t any day
in the week, but well never see another
dog with the go In him that your dogs
got. Why, he's venornous. Back yon-
der he crashed through a brar patch just
like he'd been shot out of a cannon and
his nose--well, he don't have to run ON
the drag at ALL much Jess put his head 40
the ground. l never saw anything like
it in my life. There amt a fox in the
world that can stand up before him fifty
minutes. Look at himl The other dogs
are tired out and he's walking around
as fresh as a daisy. No, sir Wen never
see his like again."
whats your opinion, Fountain" ask
ed the White Haired Master.
Fountain shook his head and dismount-
ed from his mule, under pretense of fix
ing a buckle or strap.
well, sah,' he sad with fervor. 81
has seed dogs in my time; 1 has seed dem
what dey said could run, an l has seed
dem what believed could run, but not
befo' dis day has deze eyes seed dog
what could RELY run. Onless, sub, twuz
dem ar greyboun's what blong to Marse
Billy Ross. Dem dogs has got de body
an de legs, but day amt got de head an
de win or dis yer Hodo. Give um a mile
dash in open groun an maybe dey dar TO
dis yer dog, but when ii comes to brush
an briar an canebrake, dey wouldn't
show up nowhar close ter dat dog dar. Yes
yes, suh!-ef you'd a. seed what l seed
n III. r 4 4