The age-herald., 1899-06-11

a rat. What is he thinking about? He won't last 40 minutes"
 'Why, he's mile or more ahead of the dogs" said Buster John.
 "A mile and a quarter" admitted Max well, measuring the distance with his eye. Wait till send word to Hodo.
 Prompt as an echo a black shadow hurled itself from the woods, and went careering across the open country. Joe Maxwell raised himself in his stirrups, placed both hands to his mouth, and utter ed three short, sharp, shrill yells that cut through the air like a whip lash. Hodo answered with roar, and seemed to grow smaller. Certainly he increased his speed. The rest of the dogs, headed by Whale bone, Ruth and Music, were by this time well out of the woods and the hunters, who were not far away, cheered them on. They were running beautifully, and Joe Maxwell could afford to say so.
 They'll not be far away when the end comes," he remarked. And if that old fox has any grit in him he'll be caught somewhere between this hill and the. point Of woods the dogs came out of."
 Why he's running away from here," cried Buster John.
 "Of course," said Joe Maxwell, land be- fore many minutes have passed, he'll dis cover that he can't play the old game Of course, if this isn't the old fox we're after, we'll never see the dogs catch him. They will be coming back presently, and we'll have to see if there's any hair between their teeth. If it is the old fox, he'll run away till he hears Hodo close at hand, and then he'll get scared and try to reach home again."
 "The rest are following the dogs" said Buster John, ruefully, as he saw them galloping in tie sunlight
 And you are sorry you're not with em," suggested Joe Maxwell. "Well, they will see no more of the race than we have seen, even if we after the wrong fox If we are after the right one. we'll proba- bly have him ready for their inspection by the time they get back. But we're not go- ing to stand here," he said, reassuringly. We are going to gallop over there and be ready to put Hodo right at his heels when he comes back"
 This they did In fact as Butterfly was chafing at the bit Joe Maxwell let him have his head on the firm Bermuda turf, and he went flying along in a way that thrilled Buster John. A mile of this sort of travelling was enough to satisfy Butter fly's ambition for awhile and he was will ing to stand quietly when his rider finally drew rein
 The dogs could be heard running far away, their voices borne back on the morning breeze like the echoes of melodi- ous complainings. Joe Maxwell looked at his watch again. The hunt had been going on 20 minutes.
 'ThatS the right FOX, Sa1u the young fs.low, land he's pretty game or he would hove made his double before this."
 Finally the dogs went out of hearing al- together, and Buster John took advantage of that fact to follow with his finger on Maxwells leg the entire on.lne of the triple loop by means of which Old Scar Face had been in the habit of throwing his pursuers off.
 "If he had had an hours start" said Maxwell this would have been pretty performance, but he's had his work cut out for him this morning. Maybe he was making one of his loops beyond the point of woods wonder. Yes, sir! That's just what he was up to! The dogs came out of the woods not 25 yards from where they went in"
 ''S1rpose the dogs have caught him?" suggested Buster John. who was all for ac- tion.
 ''No; they're coming back" replied Max we'll
 VI don't hcsr them.' said Buster John.
 "Nor l. Maxwell admitted; "but But te-fly docs "
 And sure ei.nagh the thin and sensitive ears Of rhe ho,lA pointed forward, and he wes hsteL.rg :ntently. Presently mur-