The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-26

men the game of which they were IN
pursuit, and no other would they notice.
Captain Reds Music was said to be
remarkably "cold," but her veracity was
questionable Her ambition never aimed
at anything higher than finding the track
for feeter-footed hounds When the
game was up she soon knocked out.
and went In quest of cold trails; why or
wherefore no one could tell, unless 1t
was that she had the common fault of
those who possess peculiar accomplish
ments. Her habit was to get a trail and
II she could not lead off on 1t readily to
| open by the half-hour upon so much OF
| 1t as lay within the compass of three rods
square.
We had proceeded about two miles on
our way when in a washed field. to our
right. Music opened
What dogs that?" inquired several
voices at once.
ITS Music" said the captain She's
the coolest hound In the pack
The majority were for moving on, re-
CARELESS of Musics cry; but, In courtesy
to t., captain, who had more confidence
| In her than the rest of us. We agreed
ito wait on her a little
Speak to him, Music.' said the cap
| tain
Music opened again. L
TRY for him, Musc,'
| Music opened again.
Lets go to her." sal dthe captain;
there's not much confidence to be placed
| in her. but 1t may be a fox"
| We went, and as soon as Music saw us
she seemed highly delighted at our at
tentons ran into little gully, put her
nose to the ground, seemed In doubt,
rooted in the dirt little way; then
raised her head, paused a second and
trotted round circle OF ten yards cir
conference, opening all the time as II
the whole horizon were lined with foxes
that is, as though there were an abun-
dance of foxes about, but they were
long way off.
TRY for him again, Music!'' said the
captain Music fidgeted about with great
animation, shook her tail spiritedly, and.
after taking a sweep of 60 feet, returned
to the gully and did as before.
I'm afraid it's cold," said the cap
| tain
"Oh, no. said Colonel Peyton. wag-
| gishly, Tets wait on her. Guidance of
foxes In that gully; only give Music time
and she'll fill 1t full of dead foxes before
sunrise"
IT reckon" said Stewart Andrews In
long, drawing, dry way that Music has
got upon a Miss Mary Ann that went
/ along there last winter"
| The reader must here be informed that
when l went into the neighborhood OF
which l have been speaking the common
appellation of the rabbit was Molly
Cotton-tai," as 1t still Is elsewhere In
Georgia. but as I thought this inelegant,
If not vulgar, I prevailed upon my fellow
huntsmen to exchange 1t for a more class
ic term, which would preserve the sense
without offending the most squeamish
deicacy. At my suggestion, therefore It
was called the Mary Cotton-tail," and
afterward, by further refinement, Miss
Mary Ann Cotton-tail." But to return.
We were just about taking leave of
Music when a young. awkward over
grown hound trotted up to her assist
ance. He arrived Just as Music had paid
a third visit to the track in the gully.
and as soon as she left 1t he put his nose
to the spot snuffed little and then
raised one foot and with II kindly
scratched out the tantalizing track.
While I sat waiting upon" Miss Music
my freezing limbs forced me into this
| train of reflection: How could I have
SO far taken leave of my senses as to
promise myself any pleasure from such
jaunt as this! 1t is extremely doubtful
whether we shall start a fox and IL we
should, what are the cries of 20 hounds
| to three or four hours exposure, without
even an overcoat, upon such piercing
morning as this? And wherein will the
cry differ from that of the same pack in
pursuit of a rabbit on a fine sunny day?
And why seek amusement in the torture
OF a poor, unoffendng animal? In this
country at least l never heard of a sin
gle loss from a farm-yard which could
be fairly traced to the fox; not even of
goose, much less of a lamb. Ny rest
broken, my health jeoparded and my i'm
mediate suffering excruciating! Folly!
madness In the extreme!
We had not proceeded far before
groups of from two to FIVE hounds could
be heard in all directions In pursuit of
Miss Mary AIMS. Hitherto my hopes had
been buoyed up by the number of hounds;
| for I naturally concluded that our
| chances of success increased with their
number; but now I plainly saw that our
| only hope was upon Rome and Louder
for all the others had resigned them
selves unreservedly to Mary AIMS.
We were moving on upon skirt of
woods, entirely surrounded by fields,
when, from the opposite side of 1t the
we'll known voice of the deep-mouthed
Louder fell joyously upon our ears
'Harkl" cried all of us at once. In an
instant the clear, shrill note of Rome
confirmed his companions report; for
they always hunted together. and each
obeyed the call of the other in a moment.
Then both together, then alternately in
quick succession, they repeated their as
surances. In an instant all the various
groups of hounds Of which we were
speaking were hushed. and from every
direction they could be seen dashing to
the favorites. Such is the force of truth
even with dumb brutes.
| A loud scream of exultation and en-
enlargement broke involuntarily from all
the huntsmen (not excepting myself, and
each dashed for the hounds as the I'M
pulse of the moment urged him on. Some
skrted the forest in one way. some in
another; but Crockett plunged directly
through it at half speed-how, heaven
only knows but had hardly missed him
before heard him encouraging the dogs
in his presence. took moment for re-
Election, which. of course, was permitted
to enjoy alone. My conclusion was, that
If Crockett could gallop through the wood
iwth safety, I certainly could pace
through it without injury; and as this
was much the nearest way. l determined
to attempt 1t. My resolves were no sooner
formed than they were communicated to
Smooth-tooth, who entered the wood with
his accustomed prudence and circum-
spection.
The first streaks of day had now ap-
peared;, but they were entirely useless to
me after had entered the forest. had
proceeded about 60 PAGES, when limb Of
some kind q know not WHAT fetched me
La wipe across the face that set the prin-
Icples OF philosophy at defiance; for 1t
was certainly four times as severe as
Smooth-tooths momentum would have
justified upon any known law of projec-