The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-12-12

IHclC 10 SOucCuIuS In the primitive
savagcry of boy that outkccns the
SAVIOR of later days. | sometimes
think of that when waiting by good
pointer as he Stands beyy Of
quail and can step forward with
hreech-loadcr ready for the birds to
burst from cover. 1t is grand sport
with trusty FRIEND along to hear
ones explanation Of how easy shots
are missed. Days in the cornGclds
and brush, down in the little "slues"
between the i2i.' and .,ound old
orchards and along fences and creek
bottoms after "Bob White" But
sometimes the frantic rush Of "cot-
tontail' will dart by dogs nose, the
dog standing steady as rock and not
minding it The CANNES Of other
days hadn't that pointer control
not the lank hound and the two non
dcscript ours with which used to go
"doggin' rabbits in the Missouri
hills.
AS the invironmcnt is bent the boy
is inclined, and there in Nodaway
County we were inclined to hunt. a
mile from town on one side the
prairics lay and in the early summer
they were red with wild Strawberries
To the north and northwest was the
timber, heavy and threatening, and
with many squirrels and rabbits in it's
mazcs. The men hunted prairie
chickens, turkeys and deer mainly,
but we boys went "doggin" rabbits.
a "doggin" trip was usually planned
Friday night to be put into execution
the following Saturday morning early.
There was council Of war and the
biggest boy generally ruled the roost
and laid out the route to be taken.
Rubc Swearingen always led us, be-
cause his father owned the hound
that we took along, and also because
Rubc could lick either Of US. This
hound was sad-cyed, long cared
animal, that had one of the most
cavcrnous appetite ever known in dog
dom. He could eat his weight in
mixed truck every twenty four hours
and never gain pound for it, either
He was bay brute, with a high bari
tone voice and four tall legs. lie was
q past primo rabbitcr. though, and
held on cold trail like a boy s
tongue to frosty pump handle.
Oscar and Juno were the other
dogs, and they were just gallery dogs
-pesky fighters, small and able to
worm through brush piles slickcr than
blacksnake. The hounds name was
Henry Clay and whenever Henry
A'hollered' it meant rabbits. He
would drag himself lazily along until
we got to the woods and then he
would sniff a little at the leaves and
tip-toc around, getting more and more
interested all the time, and finally he
would scratch back bunch oe soil
with his hind feet and look up diago.
nally with that long, sharp head Of
his. AT last he would let out moan
that was half yawn and half yelp,
and then we knew that he had got tho
scent. And then Oscar and Juno
would "scrouge" in between his legs
and bark and "rassie' around in the
brush and presently frantic rabbit
would emerge from hiding place, and
with fierce, joyous yells of "Therc he
gocs!" the trio of boys would rush
forward and the dogs would stretch
out in frenzied line after the rabbit.
Henry Clay usually ran thcm into
brush piles or hollow logs, and either
way it was suicide for the rabbit. If
the prey scuddcd into brush pile old
Henry would lopc up and smell around
g few seconds and then give tell-talo
bay that said as plain as daylight,
"Here he is! Oop-oop!" Then Rube
would get up on the brush pile and
Randolph and 1 would take up posi-
>tions around tho pile and then VIC
would let Juno and Oscar squeeze in
and interview the rabbit. Each of us
boys had stick, and what with Henry
Clay aud his willing mouth, the sharp
teeth Of tho two ''yaller" dogs and our
clubs tho rabbit had his Gown doin's''
to get away from US. If he did man
age to run the gauntlet it was merely
case of chase to another brush
heap and 'encore" by the entire com
pany.
A certain amount of this was bound
to discourage the most ambitious rab.
bit. AS for Henry Clay, he never
tired IN the woods. I'll give him chat
credit, anyway. And the two smaller
dogs forgot everything pertaining to
fatigue in the mad energy of t,,u chase