St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-03-03
ANIMAL cHIvALRY.
The Canine Recognition Of the PPin-
ciPle That ..You Can't Soak
q Lady."

The toast of ''The Ladies" would bt
cordially received at auy canine ban
quet. and the courtesy with which thu
privileges of the sex are respected IL Z
most creditabie feature of canine con.
duct. do not. of course, refer merely
to the elaborate display of politenes.
and fine manners seen everywhere dur.
ing the period of courtship.
Courtesy to and respect for the weak.
er sex GO far beyond this. No self-re-
specting dog will bite female, except
in the EXTREMIST need of self-defense;
though / am sorryito say that the lady
herself, as rule. has no scruple what
ever about furnishing to the full ex-
tent of her power. any individual of the
opposite sex that happens to be inferior
to her in size or strength. And, indeed,
like the woman in the crowded bus,
she is inclined TO demand her privileges
as rights. A yixenish female will make
more trouble in q pack of hounds than
any three of the sterner sex. for when
ever dissatisfied she hasn't the slightest
reserve about speaking out at once.
and, as her cause is extremely likely
to be championed, upon general prin-
ciples. by some chisalrous male, free
fight is frequently the result.
So strong is this unwillingless to
Strike female" that it really becomes
a most annoying obstacle in attempt
ing to clear a neighborhood of wolves,
as few male dogs will attack a she wolf,
or in some cases even follow her trail.
I well remember an exasperating ex-
perience of this sort in the early days
Of my wolf hunting. A she wolf had
been clearly marked down, in certain
wild tract of dense hazel brush. by the
fearful havoc she was making among
the lambs Of the farmers in its neigh
borhOod. In response to the Mace
donian cry an old hunter and myself
united our packs and rode over to draw
the thicket. Leaving our friends posted
in the open country around we proceed
ed to ride down through the middle Of
it, to direct the movements of our pack
Working my way through the thickest
of the tangle my mare suddenly snort
ed and reared so violently as almost to
unseat me. saw at once that she had
scented something, and looking quick
ly down the slope; of the hill in front /
was just in time TO catch the flash of
gray back and brush as it leaped across
the valley of little stream below me.
1t was only the work of a minute to
swing the hounds on to the hot scent
and away they all went in a compact
body. and with the ringing chorus
which stirs the heart of the hunter as
no other sound can. Up the hill and
over the next ridge they swept at full
speed, with the scent breast high, and
we were just galloping OF to our re-
spective runways. in the hope of get
ting a shot. when all at once the chorus
ceased as suddenly as ii had begun. We
listened anxiously for several minutes,
thinking they had turned up a side val
ley and we would soon catch the cry
again, but not a sound could we hear. ]
was completely puzzled, but my COM
panion swore picturesquely and re-
marked in a resigned tone that this was
just what he expected; the sons of un- |
maternal ancestors had |
caught up with the wolf. found that
she was vixen, closed the episode on
The spot with apologies. and were now
IN their way back to us. Sure enough.
IN ten or Is minutes back they trot-
ed, looking much ashamed of them
selves. but quite determined to have
more to do with that trail.
Ny friend assured me that they would
'ften refuse even to take up the trail
# vixen in the first place. And ]
ound that ii was the custom with most
hunters to run at least one bitch hound
nevery pack. simply because she would
AVE no hesitation whatever in attack
ng at once any vixen or even half
,rown cub which might be come up
nth. When once the fight is started.
hen the rest of the hounds will join
n to help their friend Contemporary