276 THE SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE; 



the alacrity of a hound, in order to grab the falling par- 

 tridge before the old cocker could get hold of him. The 

 old cocker, however, succeeded in getting the best of 

 "Jim," grabbed the bird in his mouth and started off at 

 full speed, while the guide followed him on the jump, as a 

 fox-hound might follow a hare, shouting with every bound, 

 '■'■Stop! stop! drop it ! drop it !'' until the woods became 

 fairly resonant widi these sounds, A few seconds later 

 the dosf emerged from the woods, still clinorino- to the 

 bird, closely followed by the irate guide, who still yelled 

 as though his life depended on this effort. Here the old 

 dog made the fatal mistake w^hich finally cost him the prize 

 which he had attempted to steal. He started down the 

 road as rapidly as he could run, but "Jim" steadily gained 

 on him. Jim was wearing on this occasion a pair of 

 heavy, leather brogans, which contained in the soles about 

 fifty steel spikes. These shoes, in fact, were procured 

 by him while he was engaged in that occupation com- 

 monly designated as " river- driving',' and these spikes 

 were intended to nail him firmly to the floating logs, and 

 thus prevent accident or injury from slipping. The road 

 on which this race between the old cocker and our guide 

 took place was nearly a mass of rocks ; generally flat on 

 the upper surface, which formed the road-bed, although 

 they possessed many irregularities of surface, size, etc. 

 The moment the euide and doof emero-ed from the woods 

 and started off on this road they were in full view of both 

 my son and myself. The sparks eliminated by the con- 

 tact of the spikes in "Jim's" brogans with the rocks in 

 his pathway lighted up his trail and added gready to the 



