154 The Sporting Dog 



dislikes to be burdened with three dogs when 

 one will do the work. He is always looking for 

 the dog of accuracy and speed to take the place 

 of the three slow dogs. As long as the American 

 has no landed estate of his own for a game pre- 

 serve, as long as he must usually travel a distance 

 to get his sport and cover a lot of ground to 

 find game, this will be the prevailing American 

 custom. 



It is hard to say how far the pursuit of raccoons 

 constitutes an approved sport. However that may 

 be, 'coon hunting is a zestful amusement in all the 

 South and Southwest, and possesses fascinations 

 for many gentlemen whom it would be unjust to 

 designate by any name less worthy than that of 

 true sportsmen. A thoroughly good 'coon dog is 

 a much respected individual, and his fame fre- 

 quently spreads far and wide over a dozen coun- 

 ties. Sometimes he is a straight-bred foxhound ; 

 sometimes a straight-bred beagle ; sometimes he 

 is a mixture of the two, and often he inherits the 

 blood of the old English harriers which were fre- 

 quently brought over in the early colonial days. 

 A good 'coon dog must be reliable as to nose, 

 intelligent in hunting, and thoroughly game. The 

 latter quality is of some consequence because the 

 'coon is a good fighter, being possessed of extreme 

 activity and no contemptible punishing powers. 

 Of course a 'coon does not usually go out of his 



