50 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



freeze its untrampled surface, and, by the time morning came 

 again, there would be a hard crust over all — ^hard enough to 

 bear Molly Cotton's weight at any rate. 



Now, such grand chases as we would have after her upon 

 the crust ! Milo's nose was to find her in the old stubble-field, 

 by the little breathing-holes through the top of her palace 

 under the snow ; then we had all the little dogs from the 

 Quarter, who were not much heavier than she, to chase her 

 on the crust. 



Ah ! this was the greatest affair of all ! — greater than 

 catching her at once in her house, for here we gave Molly a 

 fair start, and could see the whole chase to the end. 



Before sunrise, Pomp had assembled from the quarter the 

 other young darkies, Dick, Sambo, and the rest, with their 

 cur-dogs, fices, terriers, and all other kinds of light dogs, 

 each one lead by a tow-string around its neck — for it would 

 spoU the fun and interfere with Milo, to have them loose until 

 the time came. Such a gabbling and a yelping as they made, 

 the darkies and their dogs between them, when Milo and I 

 came running out, and took the lead through the deep crack- 

 ling snow towards the great field. 



Sometimes the snow would bear us for a moment, and then 

 up somebody's heels would' fly, and such a shrieking and 

 tumbling about with the laughter as there would be ; then the 

 eager mongrels, when they saw Milo run ahead with long high 

 plunges through the snow, would yell with anger at being 

 tied, and leap against their tow-leashes, or darting between 

 the holder's legs, would trip him up, and break away. Then 

 there was no catching the little wretch, for he would be cun- 

 ning enough not to come when his master called, just to be 

 (5aught again, so I would have to order a halt, and call in my 

 obedient Milo, and then the runaway would- be decoyed in 

 reach of some one who would snatch the trailing tow-string, 

 and make him prisoner once more. 



