MAiicn 9, 1882,] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



108 



fox appeal" upon the scene. I knew him at once as Hie one 

 Unit 1 had seen an hour before ahead of the dogs, His tongue 

 1 . brush was trailing; he evidently was having 

 a hurd time of it. Take courage, old fellow, for deliverance 

 is near, Hare Gomes our friend of the beautiful eoat gaily 

 cauteErug to the rescue. See the tired one as he toils up the 

 steep, glance back, and understanding the rose, slackens his 

 headlong speed, and as the dogs break into the open with 

 eager cry, he squats Upon his haunches and calmly watches 

 his deliverer, who unconcernedly aonlinues his gambols until 



the open mouthed dogs are almost upon him, when', knowing 

 by their frantic screams that they have caught sight of bine 

 and his friend is safe, he gives a final shake- and with a de- 

 fiant flourish of his tail almost in their faces, glides away 

 with a long, low sweeping stride that soon leaves his pur- 

 sue! ■■. behind, "Noble deed, bravely done," and deserv- 

 ing success. But hark: there comes old Soundgr with his re- 

 sonant uir-uit at every stride. Gallant Fellow, his many years 

 are too much of a handicap when the scent lies as now, but 

 he steadily keeps on the even tenor of his course, well knowing 

 that, when the sun gets a little higher and the track grows 

 slim, he will bad bis companions circling some barren field 

 or whimpering in some old road, and again take the lead. 

 Now he is in the open, and as be canters up the slope he causes 

 a new light h:> dance in the- ry^-i of Uncle Nat, for he does 

 not turn after the others, but with bead high in air, e.xult- 

 ingly voicing his delight, and with quickened speed be keeps 

 straight on up the bill "true to Ins first love," who has 

 Jumped to ids feet and is coining toward us, Uncle Nat slowly 

 brings "old Hollyhock" to a present. I hear the ominous 

 click of the old Hint-lock, and as the fox is creeping in front 

 full six ly yards away the old gun belches forth a cloud of 

 lire and smoke, and reynard rolls bathe dust. My long pent 

 up feelings found vent in a series of yells as I rushed pell- 

 mell after the quarry who had gathered himself up and was 

 slowly dragging along with both hips broken. In vain f 

 shoaled and kicked at him. he would not slop; fearing that 

 he would escape I threw myself upon him and clenched my 

 hands in his fur, held on like grim death. I shall never do 

 bq a " i. Somehow I took a great dislike to the expression 

 of that fox's countenance. He wrinkled up his lips and 

 grabbed my hand and held on. Old Sounder uow appeared, 

 and giving the fox a grip that made his ribs crack again, he 

 shook him clear of me and soon, finished him. Three of my 

 were terribly lacerated, but so great was my excite- 

 ment that it: was some time before I noticed that I was hurt. 

 Uncle Nat was in eestacies; he laughed loud and long and 

 praised me for my courage, and said that this was the best 

 fox hunt that he had ever seen. "Now," said he, "you have 

 a fox story to tell, and if you can do it justice there is not 

 one iu the whole crowd that can compete with you. " How 

 well I succeeded in a rehearsal that night, let the broken floor 

 of the little shoemakers shop attest. "There was a fidl meet- 

 ing, and when I finished mv modest tale and drew from my 

 bosom my first brush and" waved it aloft with my bloody 

 hand, there was such a stamping and shouting that, although 

 it did not: raise the roof, it landed us in a promiscuous heap 

 in the cellar, it is true that in humble imitation of those 

 present I had drown upon my imagination for some of my 

 facts, thus, I had entirely ignored Uncle Nat and "old Holly- 

 hock'' and held him until old Sounder came up. 



Let us now return to the chase of our gallant fleet-footed 

 hero. We left him showing the pack a clean pair of heels. 

 In fifteen minutes the. pack was out of hearing, and we neither 

 saw nor heard them more that day. About midnight two of 

 the dogs got home; three more straggled in Uw next after- 

 noon footsore and weary; more than a week after, one was 

 found twenty miles from home-, the other we never heard 

 from. Although some of us ware' out, nearly every day, we 

 did not start this fox again until the middle of March. I 

 well remember the date, for when he first showed himself, 

 fifty rods away, 1 exclaimed, "There is our hero of opening 

 day." Several of us were standing together, and Joe Hicks, 

 who was quite a poetical genius, shook his fist at the fast re- 

 treating form and quoted in a sepulchral voice, "Beware the 

 ides of March." Joe must have been endowed with the spirit 

 of prophecy, for on this fateful day eleven years later, this 

 hero of a hundred contests was brought to grief. As soon as 



1 " wasoul of sight, every one started for his favorite 

 runway. 1 was uot old enough to carry a gun, hut hunted 

 because I dearly loved the sport. As" I had learned the 

 different runways and was fieef of foot. 1 managed, bv cut- 

 ting comers, to keep pretty close to the dogs most of the 

 time, and unless the chase led straight away, l"seldom lost a 

 single note of the music, and frequently saw the foxes and 

 witnessed many of their sly maneuvers. So when the others 

 left me, 1 ran to where 1 had last seen the fox, and sitting 

 down, waited for the dogs, who were fast approaching. 

 Looking in the direction that our hero had gone, I saw him 

 returning. There was an inch or two of fresh snow, and be 

 was carefully stepping in the tracks he had made when going. 

 I kept quiet and he came within two rods of me, when he 

 gathered himself together and with a prodiguous leap side- 

 ways, cleared more than a dozen feet, landing upon a bare 

 "'" e a rubber ball, he leaped about the same 

 me, and flattening himself close to the 

 3 for the dogs to pass by. They were now 

 a few seconds were close 

 -known "view halloo," I 



rock. Bounding 

 distance to anol'h 

 stone, cool}- wait 

 screaming on the hot trah\ 

 by ;me. Giving them my 



Started at full speed toward" the tricky rascal, with the yelling 

 pack almost at my heels. You should have seen the" aston- 

 ished look that he gave me when I jumped up. Surprise and 

 disgust were plainly depicted upon his expressive face. As 

 lie sailed away from the dogfl across the fields, he several 

 times turned his head over his shoulder and glanced at me, 

 evident!)' not understanding my sudden appearance. As Ids 

 course lay in the same direction that he bad taken on opening- 

 day, 1 did not follow, thinking that he would adopt the same 

 tactics and that we Should See no more of him or the dogs 

 for that day. 



Sitting down upon a stone, I listened to the dogs, mean- 

 while bewailing out unfortunate luck in starting this fox on 

 such a magnificent day, 1 h:ul been there hut a short time 

 when 1 heard a dog in 'the distance behind me (I learned after- 

 ward that he was let go on the trail nearly five miles away). 

 Turning to look iu bis direction, great was my surprise and 

 delight to see our beautiful hero, who had disappeared in 

 the Opposite direction a short half hour before, break into 

 the opeu and come straight for me. He cantered up within 

 twenty feet of where 1 was sitting, and came to a stop and 

 turned his bright eyes up to my face with an inquisitive look. 

 He had undoubtedly been unable to quite make me out in 

 the hurry and scramble attending my first appearance, and 

 after Obtaining a sufficient start from 'the dogs had returned 

 o investigate the phenomenon. While musing thus, and ad- 

 miring the unstudied gracefulness of his every motion and 

 the beautiful coutour of Ms supple form, my thoughts were 



turned into another channel by the nervous twitching and 

 retraction of his lips. I could see the sharp white teeth 

 gleaming in his partly open mouth, and as at this moment a 

 twinge of pain shot through my wounded hand, I was forci- 

 bly reminded of my straggle Upoj ' 'opening day," and it is 

 needless to say that I did not covet a combat with this un- 

 easy looking brute, wdio had moved a step nearer, and with 

 his ears laid back and an occasional jerky flourish of his tail, 

 appeared about to spring upon me and punish me for my in- 

 terference with the success of his well-laid plan to outwit the 

 dogs. Or, stay— perhaps be has heard the oft-told tale of 

 my first brush, and recognizing me. has come to wreak a 

 summary vengeance, upon the "fell destroyer of his dearly- 

 loved friend. But a few seconds had passed since his ap- 

 pearance, yet it seemed a long time to me, and as this last 

 thought flashed through my mind, an oppressive feeling 

 of dread came over me. I could stand it no longer. I 

 made up my mind that there had got to be a tight; and 

 knowing well from experience in many a battle with my 

 schoolmates that a vigorous onslaught would often reverse 

 the odds, and reassured by a cheery shout from some one on 

 the hill above me, 1 threw myself "at the grinning fiend with 

 all my force. He did not run, but, like something super- 

 natural, appeared to glide away just out. of my reach. 



At this juncture the dog thai I had heard a few moments 

 before, gave tongue a short distance below T me., I recognized 

 his voice, aud with a loud spasmodic yell sounded my War 

 cry. He knew the signal, and before the sound had died 

 upon my lips he was coming at full speed, his despairing, 

 mournful wail at the coldness of the track suddenly changed 

 to eager, joyous notes, for well he kuew that this cry would 

 surely lead him to a fresh trail steaming with the grate- 

 ful perfume he loved so well; or, oh happy thought ,' per- 

 chance Ids longing eyes would actually behold the object of 

 his longing desire. On, still faster he" came, with flakes of 

 foam flying from his wide open mouth, the light snow whirl- 

 ing in a cloud behind hint; and I had mentally added a mag- 

 nificent mate to the solitary brush hanging over the. old fire- 

 place at home, and excited and half dazed as I was, I had 

 already laid the foundation for a "fox story" that would 

 totally eclipse my maiden effort. I felt perfectly sure, of 

 the brush, for the noble hound now so near was noted for the 

 number of his victims caught and killed in fair aud open 

 race. Imagine my surprise then, when the fox bristled up 

 his hair and with short, angry snarls ran toward him, to see 

 the dog I thought so brave, drop his head and tail and slink 

 away like some cur of low degree. The fox followed him 

 and I stood in mute astonishment and saw my beautiful 

 brush disappear over a knoll twenty yards away. I could 

 now plainly hear the other dogs, and shouting to" them at the 

 top of my voice I ran for the "knoll. When I arrived at the 

 top I saw_ the "recreant hound" a long distance away with 

 his tail still curled close between his legs and one ear turned 

 wrong side out, the very picture of abject fright. The fox 

 had sheered to the right and was leisurely cantering up the 

 hill, his shining coat was all smoothed out and as he looked 

 round at me and then at the cowering dog, 1 imagined that 

 I could plainly see a broad grin upon his face and" his sides 

 shaking with laughter, ever and anon he would flourish that 

 beautiful brush in a manner that was pe-culiarly aggravating 

 to my deeply wounded feelings. The "other dogs now came 

 up. Straightening them on the fresh trail, away they went, 

 and 1 do not remember a Better race than we had that day. 



Bound aud round the mountain, with an occasional turn 

 away, but never out of hearing, this wily fox kept us in an 

 agony of suspense all day long. Very "often iu sight, but 

 never within reach of the "death-dealing tube," he appeared 

 to delight in tantalizing his would-be captors. No sooner 

 would one of them leave his stand to go to a better one, than 

 this cunning rascal would slowly saunter by within a few 

 yards of where he had been patiently waiting for hours. His 

 crowning act of impudence was played upon Uncle Nat, who 

 had remained crouched behind a big rock that was a famous 

 runway from early morning until nearly night. About fifty 

 rods below him was a barway through which the fox had 

 passed several times. Once seeing him come into the open 

 and head toward this barway, Uncle Nat forgot his own 

 golden rule, to "stick to your "station when the fox is play- 

 ing," and cautiously crept down the wall within shot of the 

 runwaj'. After waiting some time for his expected victim, 

 he slyly peered over the wall, but not seeing him, involuntarily 

 glanced behind him. "Pity the sorrow's of a poor old man!'' 

 There, standing upon the rock that he had just left, the set- 

 ting sun illuminated each particular hair and causing it to 

 gleam like burnished gold, he beheld this incarnate trickster 

 calmly looking at him, and evidently enjoying his discom- 

 fiture. I was but a short distance away and witnessed the 

 whole performance. Uncle Nat did not speak. Mere words 

 could not express a tittle of his disconsolate grief. But deep, 

 bitter sorrow was manifest iu his mournful, dejected pose, 

 and a world of heartfelt woe in the droop of his dear old 

 head. Mechanically he shouldered "old Hollyhock," and 

 with a dazed look aud faltering step he steered "straight for 

 home, and did not halt, nor even look around, when the dogs 

 with a mighty roar passed over the mountain. 



Poor Uncle Nat; this was his last chase. He went home to 

 bed that night and never rose from it more. Ho lingered a 

 few days, then calmly, peacefully passed away, dearly loved 

 aud sincerely mouru'ed by all who knew him". The doctors 

 said that his death was caused bv pneumonia contracted that 

 day upon the bleak hillside. Precious little they knew about 

 it: They did not see the utter, hopeless grief of that, bowed 

 form, nor witness the halting, feeble steps, nor see the light 

 in his eye grow dim as he left the barway that fatal night, 

 and so could not guess that the poor old man died broken- 

 hearted— a victim "to the wiles of our beautiful, treacherous 

 victim. Sadly and with many tears we laid him to rest in 

 the little churchyard; and there, while listening to the 

 mournful sound of the clods falling upon his coffin, there 

 came to our ears, borne upon the gentle breeze from the top 

 of Bald Mountain, the "eager notes of the pack in full cry," 

 fittiug requiem for him who loved so well the. glorious music. 



A few days after the death of Uncle Nat my family moved 

 to the city, and, with the exception of an occasional visit to 

 my old home, 1 did not have a chance 1o indulge iu my 

 favorite sport ; and nine long summers passed before 1 again 

 saw our beautiful friend Shadow, 



[to be concluded.] 



Peekskilo, N Y. Jan. 30.— In this region last fall wood- 

 cock shooting was moderate, quail very scarce, almost 

 diminished from the fields where they we "found but a few 

 years ago in good quantities. Their early departure is a 

 mystery yet to be solved. Huffed grouse are found in but 

 small numbers. Gray squirrels abound iu the woods. I 

 shot twelve from one tree. The prospects for sport in the 

 coming fall are good,— D, A, P. 



"PODGERS" TRIES FLORIDA. 



FROM this paradise of the sportsman, made famous by the 

 FoTiEST and Stream, I greet you. To those who have 

 read your work on Florida this place must be somewhat 

 familiar, but feeling that a more recent "report" on its at- 

 tractions will be acceptable to your numerous readers, I sit 

 me clown this balmy afternoon" after a dinner tit for the gods 

 (presuming that the gods were sensible enough to appreciate 

 such a one) with a soothing pipe to tell you w r hal a jolly 

 good time 1 am having. 



It was sharp and cold when the good steamer State of 

 Texas left Pier 20, East River, and beaded down the bay 

 bound for Fernandina, aud a stiff northwester was singing 

 through the rigging ; but much to the gratification of many 

 of the passengers who had sundry misgivings as to the re- 

 tention of their dinners, it was smooth along the Jersey shore, 

 and the gathering under the lee of the smoke stack "was in 

 full force. Steadily and rapidly she steamed on her way to 

 the orange groves, and when the steward's summons to the 

 matutinal meal rang out over the cold waters the response 

 set at rest all hopes of the cook that his duties would be 

 light. Your humble servant had been unable to do justice 

 for a month to the tempting "lay out" of the Sturtcvant, 

 but on this occasion there was no such failure, and during 

 the three following days there was little profit to the steward's 

 department. 



Railroads are all very well when one cannot take steamer, 

 but the delicious sense of rest and peace that one feols with 

 plenty of room to walk decks, and when tired of that, a 

 cheerful warm cabin and a clean berth to turn into with a 

 certainty of not having your neck dislocated by sudden stops 

 and starts, and your rest disturbed by shrieking engines, is a 

 consummation not to be realized on a train of dusty cars, to 

 say nothing of sitting down to a square meal with plenty of 

 time to enjoy it, and no dyspepsia from hasty feeds of greasy 

 compounds and gutta p'ereha pastry, and lastly and not 

 leastly r at one-half the expense. 



You can take one of the fine steamers of the Mallory line, 

 and with all the comfort described, find yourself landed in 

 Florida and travel about for ten days for what it would cost 

 to take rail, the charge by steamer being but $23, while by* 

 rail the fare is §35, sleeper $5, meals 'en route (and such 

 meals) as much more, or say about $50 total. There is no 

 comparison on the score of expense or comfort in the choice, 

 and any one having any regard for either will take steamer 

 every time. 



Arriving at Jacksonville one finds a busy, prosperous 

 place, with hotels full of Northern tourists, cripples and in- 

 valids, familiar New York faces in the streets, and the fash- 

 ionable Fifth Avenue belles with the usual pug or Yorkshire 

 pet dog, the latter warmly welcomed by the jocund flea. You 

 are met on every corner by the runners from opposition 

 steamboats, and are enlightened on the merits and demerits 

 of the numerous boats. Fare by virtue of the strong oppo- 

 sition being cheap, and a little, more so than remaining at the 

 hotels, which are generally high priced, although, if one 

 knows the ropes good accommodation can be found at less 

 pretentious houses at less rates. I tried the Tremont 

 and found the table unexceptionable and price reason- 

 able— $3 per day for transient, less for permanent. But 

 as sight-seeing was not my racket and little alligators 

 in the windows had no charms for me, I pushed on 

 to Cedar Keys, for there is no sport to be had at Jackson- 

 ville. The fishing is poor, and as for shooting, the birds are 

 as scarce as in New York. Occasionally one comes on a king- 

 fisher, which immediately exclaims "mentally, "Good gra- 

 cious! here's a tourist. I'll git." And "git" he'does at a lively 

 gait, knowing full well it will be bang, bang at a hundred 

 yards. As for alligator shooting, that is a thing of the pre- 

 vious. The gentle saurian knows his value, and that his car- 

 cass will bring ten dollars, his teeth.be made into dog whistles 

 and scarf pins, and big lies told of his dimensions. " The al- 

 ligators have got to know just the hours the boats will pass, 

 aud when one of them looks at his watch and sees that time 

 is about up, he rolls off his log, sinks behind it, and with one 

 eye just above he winks knowingly as he sees the watching 

 tourist with finger on trigger vainly scanning the bank for a 

 sleepy victim. The alligators in the rivers know a New 

 York tourist a mile off, and retire to private life until he has 

 passed. The saurian knows, too, all about the advertise- 

 ments in the windows iu Jacksonville, "10,000 Alligators 

 Wanted" and says to himself "Don't you wish you may get 

 'em?" "When the tourist leaves for home he buys a box of 

 oranges at a higher price than he can get the same for at 

 home, a lot. of orangewood canes and a squab alligator, lots 

 of which little varmints are seen squirming in tanks in the 

 windows along the street and dreading transmigration to the 

 North, and evince their disgust by snapping 'at everything 

 within reach. Delightful pets, truly. 



The railroad, trip from Jacksonville to Cedar Keys is not 

 one to be cherished as a joy in the memory; the sooner it is 

 forgotten the better. There is a muchness of dust, niggers 

 and the Florida cracker, poor feed, and cars that are Tuuo- 

 centofsoap and scrubbing brushes; and when you get to 

 Cedar Keys the highest ambition of your soul is to getaway 

 from it as soon as possible. All the beautiful lies of its 

 splendid fishing stand forth as frauds, and the sight that 

 gladdens your heart most is that of the little yachtlyfng at 

 anchor that is to take you down the coast to Homosassa. You 

 are glad to find Mr.'jones ready to sail whenever you are, 

 and you are ready then and there to depart. In the present 

 instance it unfortunately happened that Capt. Jones was not 

 ready, inasmuch as he had to wait until next day for some 

 guests to arrive; but if you were in a hurry, and could put 

 up With the limited accommodations of the Spray, vou could 

 take her and Capt, Dick and jog along. 



Anything to beat Grant — i. e., to get away from Cedar 

 Keys— and the offer was gladly accepted, and Capt. Dick and 

 self were soon under weigh, with a light, fair wind, standing 

 off to sea with her head southeast. And here let me tell you 

 about the Spray— you will find her more minutely described 

 by "Al Fresco" in his articles on Florida: A compact little 

 craft, 20 feet long, 6 feel beam, wilh a cuddy, or sbif ting 

 cabin, forward, open aft, and, in the present instance, put to 

 use as a freighter, her cockpit being lumbered up with a barrel 

 of sugar, a barrel of tar, sundry cases of bacon, lard, etc. 

 Loaded down pretty deep for so small a craft; but, for all 

 that, she showed her heels to several larger boats aud schooners 



standing and experience. Capt. Dick was nothing loth to sur- 

 render the helm and go to sleep, which he did in the hot sun 

 with no head covering, and for a time 1 feared such snoring 

 would loosen the fastenings of the craft, HI "put up" on 

 Dick's out-snoring any other nigger on the coast. 

 The wind was light, and when a dark bank began to risq 



