92 The Hunting Field With Horse and Hound 



still. When at last they reached the wagon, they threw them- 

 selves at full length on the short buffalo grass, as if they had 

 lain down to die. Mr. Petrie now goes to the wagon, takes 

 out a jug of water, and placing his hat on the ground, dents 

 in the crown, and into the indenture pours the refreshing gurg- 

 ling draught. One hound after another staggers up at the 

 sound, to quench his thirst. Last, of course, comes the indom- 

 itable Mack, who had led the chase and carried on the war 

 single-handed when all the others had quit. 



We now dismounted and took our lunch, although it was 

 little beyond 11 o'clock. It was a good idea, for it not only 

 refreshed the hounds, but gave Mr. Petrie a little hope that we 

 might still snatch victory from defeat. "I had set my heart on 

 six coyote pelts which would make you a robe to take back 

 East. I shall be thankful after this misfortune if we secure 

 one. It all comes from my not knowing the country. This 

 will never happen again." 



Defeat is one of the characteristic features of the chase ; if 

 everything worked out as one expected, there would be little 

 interest in the game. 



Lunch over, hounds are put up, the crate is blanketed to 

 exclude all draughts, and we are off again. 



An hour later we sighted another coyote, and the same 

 tactics were resorted to as before. Away we went ; the hounds 

 ran better than could be expected. The coyote, however, ran 

 to a pal of his in a small ravine, and the hounds split and finally 

 ran their game out of view and returned to the wagon. 



About two hours later we sighted again. This time hounds 

 had fair sailing, and such a ride to hounds I have seldom 

 experienced. Mr. Petrie on a magnificent grey, nearly, if not 

 clean, thoroughbred, set the pace for riders and hounds for 

 a distance of nearly three miles. Greyhounds usually come to 

 their coyote in a mile or less. As they had already shot their 

 bolt for speed their endurance alone could, in a measure, make 



