144 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



not attempt to move until she saw the baying hounds heading 

 full for her. She then tore away at a stirring pace, but she 

 was driven so hard that she ran to earth in the first burrow 

 she met. This was a most unusual proceeding for a coyote, 

 and we were rather surprised at it ; but we concluded to have 

 her nevertheless, so one of our party was sent to a stock- 

 raiser's cabin about a mile away to borrow a spade with which 

 to dig her out. When he returned operations were com- 

 menced, and in less than twenty minutes we had her brush, 

 and a few minutes later her skin. We were so delighted with 

 our success that we were getting coyote-struck, but as our 

 horses were badly blown, and were covered with foam, we con- 

 eluded to give up any more hunting for the day ; so when we 

 reached a small country store, where everything from cloth 

 to whisky was sold, we entered and drank a bumper or two, 

 and after hearty hand-shakes and several " good-byes," each 

 wended his way homeward. T returned with the host and 

 hounds, well pleased with my share of the spoils, as I had two 

 brushes dangling from my horse's mane. When within five 

 miles of the house we started a splendid male, and the hounds, 

 weary as they were, started after him, nor would they respond 

 to the peremptory recall of the melodious cow's horn which 

 their owner carried. Seeing that they would not return, we 

 concluded to follow them, for fear they might get lost, or be 

 captured by some lover of good hounds, so we jogged along 

 at a steady canter, just close enough behind them to hear 

 their cry. Their route led us over steep hillocks, up which we 

 could only crawl, down precipitous ravines, where we had to 

 pick our way, and across charming vales, gay with brilliant 

 flowers and green with the richest of grasses. The chase con- 

 tinued in this manner for an hour or more, when we, at length, 

 got a glimpse of the hounds as they were entering a heavy 

 piece of woods that crowned a hill-top. We followed them 

 through this at a snail's pace, but on reaching the other side 

 we saw the coyote running short, and this induced us to 

 make a final spurt. Plying the spurs, we tried to close with 

 the fugitive, but before we could do it we founcl ourselves in 

 the midst of an Indian encampment, and the pack .streaming 



