Old Spot, thinking he had afforded his intending cap- 

 tors sufficient amusement for one night, headed for his 

 old resting place, and just as the morning sun began to 

 gild the eastern horizon he appeared in sight running 

 easy and fast, and about a hundred yards behind him 

 were Old Troupe and Flounce running side by side, 

 the clarion tones of their musical voices mingling with 

 the songs of the wild birds, and thus they continued 

 for a short distance, when Old Spot entered his den to 

 rest and get ready for another entertainment. At the 

 closing hours of the chase all but about half a dozen 

 doofs had retired from the contest, and these few were 

 so far behind Old Troupe and Flounce as to clearly 

 show they were outclassed. The owners of these 

 much-touted dogs were honest in their belief that 

 their dogs were great, and able to catch any fox that 

 wore fur, but the contest to which they were invited 

 was essentially different from any in which they had 

 ever participated and Old Spot was a different racer 

 than any which their dogs had ever pursued. 



The next year I was employed by Mr. John Harding 

 to break and handle some young animals he owned. 

 His place was on the Cumberland River, about nine 

 miles from Nashville. Near him lived Mr. David 

 Magavock, who owned a large pack and I often went 

 hunting with him. I told him of Troupe and Flounce 

 and what great dogs they were, and as Alfred had 

 married and moved away, and no one was left to hunt 

 with Squire Winford's dogs I recommended them to 

 him, and he purchased them and considered them the 

 best dogs he ever saw. Troupe got one of his legs 

 broken and was shut up in the carriage house. One 

 day while he was there the dogs started a gray fox not 

 far from the house, and, notwithstanding his broken 



45 



