The Delta independent., 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 wiId-animal tales. To the animal
lover this new collection will be read with
absorbing attention. Mr.. Seton has been
subjected to considerable criticism by other
naturalists. notably, Joha Burroughs. for
endowing his animal characters with un-
usual Intelligence and powers, which, II is
claimed, are not possessed by any dumb
creatures. Very likely, as a class, hut, ms
Mr. Seton himself admits In his preface 10
''Animal Heroes. these histories. while in
each case founded OH the actual life-doings
OF 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 rs an ex.
ceptionally fine character? So has Mr.. Se-
ton taken the record OF Il number of wood
or other animals and embodied their most
striking "kills'' or foillngs' OF the pack Into
one sagacious. brave 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-
dra awnings. literally interspersed with full
page paintings of thrilling incidents. The
story of good-hunting., of fierce pursuit. OF
sometimes TO the pursuer-is told by an
eyewitness welding a master pen in de-
plotting animal adventures; and at all
which the writer bears for all animals-of
the proud, indomitable, fearless beast
country, a killer of cattle or sheep or % even e
dogs. of which latter the author Is pas.
slonately fond. be they good ones.
Nothing he discusses has ever been writ
ten which Is better worth the reading, and
withal sadder In Its finale than Ii the ac-
count In this volume Of the little dog.
which was sent the author as a sort Of Hal.
lowe'en joke-he was so vicious and unap-
proachable, He kept Mr.. Seton. on the top
out and then. shivered. However, he an
ally made friends with his little pup-a
youngster absolutely without fear. A year
dOza. North Dakota where the wolves had
been playing havoc with the livestock,
evading poison and traps and actually
the wolvers to exterminate them. The fol-
lowing is a recital Of the hunt In which
Snap figured most gloriously:
moving speck OF gray. A moving white
speck stands for Antelope. a red speck for
Fox. q gray, speck for either oray-woif or
by Its tail. II the glass shows the tail
down. II is Coyote; II up. It Is the
hated Grny-wolf.
suit; Grny-wolf It surely was. looping
away ahead of the Dogs. Somehow
80 fast as they had after the Coyote. But
no one knew the finish Of the hunt. The
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 disgusted comment on the pack.
They could catch up easy enough. but
when he turned on them, they lighted
where's that thar onsurpassabie. fear
less. scaire-o-nOrt Tarrier asked Hilton.
scornfully.
'I don't know" said !. ''I am IN
clined to think he never saw the wolf
hut II he ever does. III bet he sails In
for death or glory"
That night several Cows were killed