The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1906-06-01
ANIMAL HEROES.
The Thrilling Story of SNAP the
Bull Terrier.

Ernest Thompson Seton's last book,
| Animal heroes" Is, II possible, more than
| ever up to the standard of his intensly In
teresting wild-animal tales. To the animal
lover this new collection will be read with
| absorbing attention. Mr.. Seton has been
naturalists, notably, John Burroughs, for
endowing bis animal characters with I'M
| usual intelligence and powers, which, 1t is
| claimed, are not possessed by any dumb
creatures. Very likely, as a class, but, as
Mr.. Seton himself admits In his preface to
animal Heroes, these histories, while in
each case founded on the actual life-doings
Of a real animal, are more or less composite
What novelist, indeed, does not combine
the most striking characteristics Of several
individuals to construct his human hero.
| who shall appeal to the reader as an ex-
ceptionally fine character? So has Mr.. Sc
| ton taken the record of a number of wood
or other animals and embodied their most
| striking "kils' or foilings Of the pack into
ssasaei0us h brave Sea and gigantic specimen
Is delightfully."- illustrated by some two-hun-
dred drawings and sketches from his own
and his wife's pencils. Interest is stimu-
lated by constant succession of marginal
page paintings Of thrilling Incidents. The
story Of good hunting, of fierce pursuit, OF
fatal closing in-sometimes to the pursued,
sometimes to the pursuer-is told by an
eye WlIIcSS WlelUlIlS d uldSleT pen IN de-
plotting animal adventures, and at all
times runs through the story the love
which the writer bears for all animals-of
the proud, indomitable, fearless beast
country, a killer of cattle or sheep or even
dogs, Of which latter the author is pas.
sionately fond, be they good ones.
Nothing ne discusses has ever been writ
ten which is better worth the reading, and
withal sadder in its finale than is the ac-
SNAP" This Snap is bull-terrier
which was sent the author as sort Of Hal
lowe en- joke-he was so vicious and unap-
proachable; He kept Mr.. Seton. on the top
smoked cigars until his pocket-supply ran
out and then, shivered However, he fin
ally made friends with his little pup-a
youngster absolutely without fear. A year
later, the two found themselves near Men
doza, North Dakota where the wolves had
been playing havoc with the livestock,
evading poison and traps and actually
scorning the attempts of the ranchers and
the wolyers to exterminate them. The fol-
lowing is recital Of the hunt in which
Snap" figured most gloriously:
From high point we caught sight of a
moving speck of gray. A moving white
speck stands for Antelope, a red speck for
Fox, a gray speck for either Gray-wolf or
Coyote, and each Of these is determined
by its tall If the glass shows the tail
hated Gray-wolf
We got momentary view of the pur-
suit; Gray-wolf it surely was, Looping
away ahead Of the Dogs. Somehow
SO fast as they had after the Coyote. But
no one knew the finish Of the hunt. The
Dogs came back to us one by one, and we
saw no more of that Wolf.
Sarcastic remarks and recrimination were
now freely INDUCED in by the hunters.
'Pah! scairt plumb scairt," was the
fathers disguised comment on the pack.
They could catch up easy enough, but
when he turned on them, they lighted
out for home-pah!'
Where's that thar onsurpassable, fear
less, scaire-o-nort Tarrier asked Hilton, |
scornfully.
IT don't know" said I. 1T am in
clined to think he never saw the wolf; |
but If he ever does, I'll bet he sails in |
for death or glory" ed
That night several Cows --r-