DOG-TOWN DIGGINGS 221 
farces. Their fat bodies and extremely short 
legs and slow, awkward movement made their 
efforts more ludicrous even than those of fat 
men boxers. There was a kind of snake dance 
with entangled countermarching in which most 
dogs tried to be dignified while many acted as 
though in new company and did not know what 
was expected of them. 
One of their plays consisted in a single dog 
mimicking a stranger or an enemy. A bunch 
of dogs acted as spectators while an old dog 
highly entertained them by impersonating a 
coyote, at least his exhibition reminded me 
very much of coyote. The old dog imitated the 
coyote’s progress through dog town, with the 
usual turning, looking, smelling, and stopping. 
He looked into holes, rolled over, bayed at the 
heavens, and even tried the three-legged gallop. 
During most of his stunts the spectators were 
silent but toward the last he was applauded with 
violent cursings and denunciation—at least so 
it sounded. A number of other folks were 
imitated, but just who they were my natural 
history and the actor’s presentation gave no 
clue. Apparently the skunk was imitated. The 
actor’s interpretation was good. The congested 
audience watched him closely, with now and then 
a yip, but mostly in silence. 
But sometimes there are less peaceful scenes 
