The La Jara chronicle. (La Jara, Conejos County, Colo.) 1896-19??, 1906-06-01
ANIMAL HEROES.
The Thrilling Story of "Snap'' the
Bull Terrier.

Ernest Thompson Seton's last book,
"AnImnl heroes IS, If possible. more than
ever M to the standard of his intensity In
teresting willl-nnimal tales. To the animal
lover this new collection will be read with
absorbing attention. Mr.. Seton has been
suhTactel TO considerable criticism by other
na ti,rolIsts. notably, John Burroughs, for
eudOwiug his animal characters with I'M
usual Intelligence and powers, which. 1t is
claimed are not possessed by any dumb
creatures. Very likely, as class. but, as
Mr., Seton himself admits In his preface To
'Anlluni Heroes, these histories, while In
each case founded on the actual life-doings
az 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-
ceptlonally fine chnrncter2 So has Mr.. Sc
ton taken the record Of a number of wood
or other animals and embodied their most
striking ''kills' or foIllngs Of the pack into
one sagacious brave and gigantic specimen.
Like all Of his books, Animal Heroes"
Is dellghtfully Illustrated Icy some two-hun-
dred drawings and sketches from his own
and his wifes pencils. Interest is stimu-
lated by d constant succession of marginal
drawings, literally lntorspersed with full
mage paintings Of thrilling incidents. The
story Of isOod-huntlug. Of fierce pursuit, of
fatal closing in-sOmeumes to the pursued,
sometimes to the pursuer-is told by an
eyewitness welding a master pen in de
piCtiug animal adventures, ana at all
times runs through the story the love
which the writer bears for all animals-of
he prGud lndomitablc, fearless beast
even though he be the scourge of the
country. a killer Of cattle or sheep or even
slonately fond be they good ones.
Nothing he discusses has ever been writ
ten which is better worth the reading, and
witlul sadder 10 its finale than is the ac-
count In this volume Of the little dog
"Snap" This "Suup' is bull-terrier
which was sent the author as sort Of Hal
prOaclahle. He kept Mr.. Seton. on the top
of the table most Of the night, where he
smoked cigars until his pOcket-supply ran
out and then, shlyered. However. he I'm
ally made friends with his little pup-a
yoqngster absolutely without fear. A year
later. the two found themselves near Men
doza, North DaEota where the wolves had
been playing havoc with the livestock.
eyading poison and traps and actually
scorulng the attempts Of the ranchers and
the syplkcFs to oNtermlnate them. The fol-
lowing is a recital Of the hunt in which
snap figured most glOriously:
From high point we caught sight OF a
speck stnnds for Antelope, a red speck for
Fox, a gray speck for either Gray-wolf or
Coyote. and each Of these is determined
by its tail. II the glass shows the tail
down. It is Coyote; If up, 1t is the
hated Gray-wolf.
We got a nomentary view of the pur-
suit; Gray-woif 1t surely was, Looping
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 recriminatiou 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, sealre-o-nort Tarrier asked Hilton.
scornfully.
Il don't know -" said I. II am In
rlined to think lie never saw the wolf;
Int II he ever does, III bet he sails in
for death or glory