272 The Turkey Family 



shorter flight, but as he rises the remorseless pur- 

 suers are drawing perilously near. Up he goes, 

 and flies — this time lower and heavier. 



Now is the time for the dog to prove his blood 

 and courage. He has been going like the wind, 

 his lithe spine arching and straightening with 

 superb regularity, his sharp snout splitting the 

 air that pins back his thin ears and hums to 

 them of glorious victory. The wirelike cords 

 have driven the lean limbs till they blurred with 

 speed, yet somewhere in the wonderful machine is 

 that one ounce more, which only a game man 

 and a clean-bred horse and dog possess when 

 comes the final drive. Fifty yards away, and 

 now for it ! 



The fierce whoop from behind thrills him like 

 an electric wave, and mindful of the fame of his 

 long line of coursing sires, he shakes out that last 

 link which has won yards of blue ribbon over- 

 sea. His eyes, which never for an instant have 

 left the quarry, are blazing with that savage light 

 which kindles only for the supreme effort. He 

 sees the struggling fowl slowly lowering ; he 

 hears the medley of voice and hoof-beats; he 

 knows that his friend, the horse, and his god, the 

 man, are with him ; and like the hero he is, he 

 throws the last ounce of his power into his mad- 

 dening task. Three more strides ! hip ! — hip ! — 

 hip ! — up goes the lancelike muzzle, the lean 



