164 



RECREA TION. 



On strode the old Virginian with 

 his 2 favorite hounds, Buster and 

 Roller, tugging at their leashes. These 

 dogs are types of that class of hound 

 which is produced by crossing the 

 better English strains on the native 

 hunting stock of the South, and are 

 endeared to their master's heart by the 

 camaraderie of innumerable hunts, 

 and battles with bears and other dan- 

 gerous animals. There is not a coward 

 in the Luman pack. Every one of 

 them will track, bay and fight a bear. 



Soon we were on the trail. From 

 cliff to cliff and hill to hill rang the 

 bugle notes of the dogs as Luman laid 

 them on the wildcat's trail. The leash 

 was slipped, the camera clicked, and 

 the hunt began in earnest. The scent 

 laid well and the hounds followed the 

 track at speed. Their soul-inspiring 

 music rolled through the wooded 

 copses and echoed from side to side of 

 the lovely valley. Old Spot's nose 

 froze fast to Luman's right boot-leg, 

 and we followed the rapidly receding 

 hunt. 



The sounds of the chase died away 

 in the distance and silence rested on 

 Paint Rock, unbroken save by the 

 crunch of the snow as it packed be- 

 neath our impatient feet. We followed 

 the trail down the creek a mile or 

 more. It then left the creek and fol- 

 lowed a long draw which, for several 

 miles, ran parallel with the divide 

 separating the canyon of Luman's 

 creek from Paint Rock valley. 



Following the draw, we climbed 

 steadily up among the foothills and 

 soon came to the hounds, at fault on 

 the trail. The fervent rays of the sun, 

 aided by the Chinook wind that was 

 blowing, had melted the snow and 

 dried the resulting moisture so the 

 scent only lingered on the Northern 

 exposures. The great draw up which 

 we had been traveling was bounded 

 on the West by a series of towering 

 red buttes and cliffs. Far up among 

 them a low divide separated this draw 

 from Military Hollow, another of the 

 Paint Rock draws. 



Our hounds had been working for 



hours among the mighty network of 

 smaller draws which for some miles 

 gashed the Western side of the divide. 

 Many of these draws were bordered 

 with overhanging rim-rock, beneath 

 which it seemed to be the especial de- 

 light of our quarry to pick his way 

 on dry sand, where his trail gave 

 forth but little scent. Time fled and 

 still we worked among this discourag- 

 ing labyrinth. I wanted to .give up 

 the hunt, for it seemed to me we were 

 asking too much of the hounds, but 

 each time the old man said, " No; give 

 the dogs time and they will round up 

 the cat for us. They are working at a 

 great disadvantage." 



Late in the afternoon Luman's faith 

 in his dogs was vindicated by a pande- 

 monium of canine yells which came 

 from a network of short, deep draws 

 just beneath the grass covered summit 

 of the divide. After a long, hard run 

 we turned into the draw from which 

 came the fierce baying of the hounds. 

 Luman was the first to see the game. 

 " Doctor," said he, "there is your wild- 

 cat. Now take his photograph." The 

 order was promptly obeyed. Then I 

 handed Luman the rifle and told him 

 to shoot the cat between the eyes, and 

 I would take its picture just as it was 

 falling from the rock into the draw 

 below. Luman took the rifle, but in- 

 stead of complying with my request he 

 allowed the butt of the weapon to rest 

 on the ground and said : 



" Doc, we have hunted that cat up 

 and down these draws for 7 mortal 

 hours, and, save the first burst of speed 

 in the creek bottom, we have not had 

 a good run yet. That cat is coming 

 off that rim-rock. There is plenty of 

 snow above us and time for a first class 

 run." 



He stooped down, picked up a 

 rock and landed it on the rump of 

 the cat. Two bounds took the animal 

 to the head of the draw, out of sight 

 of the hounds, where he switched un- 

 der some low brush. 



The hounds, taking it for granted 

 the cat had doubled back down the 

 draw, overran the trail in their anxiety 



