The Greeley tribune., 1906-05-31
ANIMAL HEROES.
The Thrilling Story of "Snap" the
Bull Terrier.

Ernest Thompson Seton's last book.
Animal heroes. Is. II possible, more than
teresting wild-animnl tales. To the animal
| lover this new collection Will he read with
absorbing attention. MIR. Seton has been
subjected to considerable criticism by other
naturalists. notably. John burroughs, for
endowing his animal characters with un-
usual intelligence and powers, which. 1t Is
creatures. Very likely, us class. but. MS
Mr.. Seton himself admits In his preface to
animal Heroes. these histories. while In
each case founded on the actual life-doings
of real animal, are more or less composite.
What novelist. indeed. does not combine
the most striking characteristics of several
who shall appeal to the reader as an ex-
ceptionally fine character? So has Mr.. Sc
ton taken the record of number Of wood
or other animals and embodied their most
striking kills or foiiings of the pack into
one sagacious, brave and gigantic specimen.
Like all of his books, "Anmnl Heroes"
is delightfully."- illustrated by some two-hun-
dred drawings and sketches from his own
and his wife's pencils. Interest Is stimu.
lated by a constant succession of marginal
page m &c paintings @ of of thrilling Incidents. The
story of good-hunting. of fierce pursuit. OF
fatal closing in--sometimes to the pursued.
eyewitness welding master pen in de,
picting 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
even though he be the scourge of the
country. killer of cattle or sheep or even
dogs, of which latter the author is pas.
sionately fond. be they good ones.
Nothing he discusses has ever been writ.
withal sadder in Its finale than is the ac-
count in this volume of the little dog.
.snap" This Snap" is buil-terrier.
which was sent the author as n sort of Hal
lowe en- joke-he was SO vicious and unap-
proachable. He kept Mr.. Seton. on the top
of the. table most Of the night. where he
sa ega1s a sbyer 1nt ns
ally made friends with his little pup-a
yonngster absolutely without fear. A year
later, the two found tiSan themselves near Men;
been playing havoc with the livestock,
evading poison and traps and actually
scorning the attempts Of the rnnchers 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
speck stands for Antelope. a red speck for
Fox, gray speck for either Gray-wolf or
Coyote, and each of these Is determined
by its tail. If the glass shows the tail
| down. 1t is Coyote; II up, 1t is the
| hated Gray wolf.
We got a momentary view of the pur-
away ahead of the Dogs. Somehow
| so fast MS they hnd 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
I now freely INDUCED In by the hunters.
'.Pah! scairt. plumb scairt." was the
''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.
Il don't know" said l. IT am In
clined to think he never saw the wolf
| hut il he ever does, I'll bet he sails in
| for death or glory"