Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-12-11

hard time getting the trail straight
ened out
Finally they did so. Evidently the
fox had heard them. or had decided
TO cross a ridge where the hunting
might be better for the hounds
struck out upon a direct course and
the yelpinS increased in volume and
the fox hunter told us the chase
was on.
Traced Course by Cries
lie knew that the trail the dogs
We're following was a hot one and
that they would soon be close upon
the quarry. And, verify, they were.
Tor suddenly there began the con-
stant, rolling voices of the hounds
that could mean nothing else than
that the fox was not far in the lead.
1t was a gray fox, our host in
FORMED us. He knew instantly, with
the dogs half mile away and the
night dark, that it was q gray fox
and not a red one-knew by the
course being taken and the manner
IN which the hounds gave voice. He
also knew about where the fox would
cross, meaning the ridge he would
follow in his rounds. So he led US
through the woods to another emil
nence, after much hard work to get
through the brush and briars. While
on the way to the stand" we could
not hear the dogs at all times. They
would get out of hearing. away across
the hills. Then they would bring
the fox over a ridge and we could
hear them family and again their
voices died down as the chase led
through hollow or ravine.
The night was frosty one and we
built fire there in the woods
after taking the usual precaution of
clearing away the leaves SO as not
to start forest fire-and seated our
selves about it on the ground.
Then the faint voices of the hounds
were heard. and our host jumped 20
his feet and asked us to accompany
him for IA few rods-away from the
fire-for the chase would come close
to US.
End of the Chase
The voices became stronger and
stronger, the hounds were headed our
way, as the fox hunter said they
would. on and on they came, until
there was a rustling in the leaves not
so yards from us, and the hunter
whispered that it was the fox-with
the dogs a quarter of mile behind.
on came the dogs and crossed eX-
actly where we had heard the rust
ling in the leaves, conurming what
the host had said about the presence
of the fox.
Well, we remained in the vicinity
for two hours, and were never again
out of hearing of the chase. The
fox circled about the ridges and hills
and deep into the valleys. Tney
gained at times upon the fox and at
times the fox gained upon them as
he played some trick to throw them
off the trail. But finally there was
no chance for the tricks; the dogs
were less than hundred yards be-
hind the fox the last time they came
close to us, and, driven to despera-
ton the fox started in a certain
direction. Our host said 1t would
soon be "all off," that the fox was
evidently making for the river, where
there were dens. And sure enough,
as the voices of the dogs sounded
as If they were nipping at the very
heels of the fox, the chase ended
and the hounds yelped as If they had
"treed" something - meaning that
they had something up tree or in
hole. We made our way to the
place and found the hounds scratch
ing and yelling about the entrance
to a den wherein a tired fox was
probably licking his bruised and fe-
verish feet. But he was safe from
harm; he had saved his life for the
time being; he had won the race.