April 7, 1893. ] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



329 



POINTS AND FLUSHES. 



T7R0M the comments of "§•>" of Now llaveo. Conn., in 

 JJ the last i«sue of Fokkst a\m> STREAM concerning my 

 remarks ou retrieving in genera', and retrieving at field 

 trials in particular, t think he misunderstood their purport 

 or else 1 did not express myself so fully or clearly as I should 

 have done on an important subject which i* exciting so 

 much interest and discussion at the present time. 



The position held by "S ," as set forth in the article re- 

 ferred to, is that held by a large number of sportsmen in 

 this country. 



I think that "S." was uu fortunate in his selection of an 

 illustration to strengthen his case. He says that "It was 

 universally accepted in the early ages that no good conld 

 come out of Nazareth, and that Wendell Phillips in 'art, who 

 advocated the abolishment of slavery, and had only sixty- 

 five followers who dared to deposit a ballot even secretly in 

 this State, was too Minpnlsive' and 'retarded progress, '"and 

 also that the female portion of the human race should only 

 be the ones to toil and bear the burdens.'' 



These are simply iostances in history which were founded 

 upon principles of right and justice, and necessarily suc- 

 ceeded. How many movements have been advocated and 

 zealously pushed by determined leaders which have failed 

 utterly ? Some are right, some are wrong. However, it does 

 not follow that because John Smith's ideas uf a ghost dance 

 are correct that Tom Jones's theory of sun spots is a natural 

 and correct sequence. 



Retrieving at field trials has been given a thorough trial. 

 To oppose it is not to retard progress, but on the contrary, to 

 abolish something which obstructs it. Nearly every writer 

 bases his arguments in favor of retrieving at field trials on 

 the mistaken assumption that if a field trial association does 

 not recognize retrieving in its scale of points it is opposed to 

 retrieving under all circumstances. So firmly is this idea 

 fixed in the belief of sportsmen, who are not regularly in 

 attendance at field trials, that it is almost impossible to, con- 

 vince them of the real reason, and that it in no wise argues 

 for or against retrieving. Retrieving is simply a quality 

 which is not competitive in a field trial sense. 



There is no question but what retrieving is absolutely 

 necessary in actual field work, but the conditions are en- 

 tirely changed as between a field trial competition and the 

 much-abused term, "an ordinary day's shooting." 



Aside from any matters of sentiment, in an ordinary day's 

 shooting the hunter works his dog for the sole purpose of 

 getting opportunities to kill birds. If the dog flushes there 

 still may be afforded a good opportunity to kill. The dog 

 hunts in his own manner, is not hurried from oae nook to 

 another, is not endeavoring to do something more or better 

 than a competitor, and is not obstructed or annoyed by com- 

 petition. 



A thorough training is absolutely essentia] for good field 

 work, to the end that the work shall be done in a finished 

 and skillful manner, thus affording the shooter the greatest 

 opportunities for success and enjoyment. Hence, in 

 actual field work, retrieving is a necessity, although it does 

 not even then follow as a consequence that it should be done 

 by the finding dog. So much for the field work of a dog 

 and the. necessity of thorough training and retrieving, 



Now. what arc the purposes of afield trial? They are 

 generally considered as being a test of the natural capabili- 

 ties of the dogs: and by actual competition it is apparent 

 wherein the superiority lies. The purposes are not at all as 

 in field shooting. Two dogs compete, one endeavoring to 

 beat the other, and two handlers are at the same time apply- 

 fcheir skill to attain the same end. Thorough training is 

 here necessary for several reasons. It is necessary so that a 

 dog's qualities can be properly and methodically exhibited, 

 and it is specially necessary so that an imperfectly broken 

 dog shall not unduly interfere with bis competitor. 



All associations have wisely refrained from giving any 

 value to breaking or training in the scale of points. To do 

 so would be to give value to" qualities due to education and 

 the superior skill of one handler over another. The natural 

 qualities of setters and pointers, so far as they relate to 

 field work, are pointing, ranging, speed, tractability and 

 bird sense, which includes intelligence, memory, knowledge 

 of the habits and haunts of birds, and the best' manner of 

 locating and pointing with skill and precision. Backing is 

 by some considered a natural quality, but, at least, it is 

 chiefly peculiar to pointers and setters. If to these quali- 

 ties retrieving is added then is a quality admitted which is 

 educational and which is not peculiar to the setter and 

 pointer, inasmuch as it can be taught to all kinds of dogs. 

 As between two dogs of equal capabilities, the one which 

 was the better retriever would probably have had the bet- 

 ter trainer. A field trial being for the improvement of the 

 pointer and setter, and it not being an ordinary day's shoot- 

 ing, why should a setter or pointer be required to do some- 

 thing in competition which is foreign to it? It is true that 

 some setters and pointers retrieve better than others, but it 

 is not simply because, they are setters. There is just the 

 same difference in the performance of other breeds, or even 

 curs, as retrievers. Moreover, if the value of retrieving, 

 which is largely educational, is admitted in a scale of 

 points, other educational qualities, such as turning to 

 whistle, remaining at heel, dropping to order, steadiness to 

 shot, etc., should also have a value, since they are all essen- 

 tial in an ordinary day's shooting. 



Again, there, are men who do not care to have their dogs 

 to retrieve, particularly in the first or second season, but by 

 an arbitrary rule they are forced to have them to retrieve, 

 whether they disapprove it or not, or compete with heavy 

 odds against them. 



This question has been before field trial associations for 

 many years. In the first years of field trials in this country, 

 the sentiment was in favor of retrieving, and no exception 

 was made in some instances in favor of puppies. The unde- 

 sirable and harmful effects of requiring puppies to retrieve 

 were so pronounced that it, in puppy stakes, was dispersed 

 with. Iu all-aged stakes, the test lias always been imper- 

 fect and unsatisfactory. All the competitive qualities of 

 two dogs in a heat might have been fully determined, ex- 

 cepting the one matter of retrieving. To test that one 

 quality may require a further search of an hour or t wo hours 

 to find birds. When found the dogs may not get a point on 

 them, but, if they do, the handler may miss. Then follows 

 another wearisome search till the judges, in weariness, order 

 the dogs up, or else have a dead bird thrown out to see if 

 the dog will retrieve. This has occurred many times. No 

 field trial has ever been ran in which everv dog was 

 thoroughly tested in retrieving. 



In respect to the English?special retrievers which "S." 

 apparently holds in disfavor, there is much more reason in 

 favor of them than he seems to recognize. It is not a sense- 

 less fad or a national lunacy. It is founded on the best of 

 practical reasons. 



I have dwelt upon this at some length, as I wished to have 

 the matter more fully presented and discussed than it yet 

 has been. I will add that these views are not peculiar to 

 me, but are. held by many sportsmen and field trial sup- 

 porters of large experience. 



In referring to the disinclination of new clubs to profit by 

 the experience of older ones, 1 did not mean to imply that 

 they should accept everything adopted by the older* clubs. 

 But matters which have been carefully considered and have 

 received the sanction of common usuage, are worthy of the 

 most careful consideration before being rejected as unsound 

 or erroneous. 



The Eastern Field Trial Club, the oldest field trial club in 

 existence in this country, has stricken retrieving from its 

 competition, yet I do not think that a single member in- 



tf tided that such should mean that a gentleman should not 

 hare his dog broken to retrieve. 



I am glad that "S." took up this subject for discussion and 

 presented his views fearlessly. It is only by careful con- 

 sideration of all details that progress can be made. I hope 

 that he will not fail to expose any weak or unsound places 

 in the views of those who do not consider that retrieving 

 has any plac • in field trials. B. Wat7;rs. 



"WOLF COURSING." 



\T KSSRS. Grimes, MacDougall, the judges, H. 0. Lowe, 

 JxL Roger Williams and Heckler, W.' L. Washington and 

 several others, left Denver in a sleeper for Hardin, Colo., 

 about 75 miles from that city, on Sunday evening, March 27, 

 and arriving at Hardin, slept on the car. G_i Monday morn- 

 ing the air was rather raw, there was barely a suspicion of a 

 sun somewhere iu the east. The sun had not yet shown 

 over the long stretch of prairie when signs of life in the 

 sleeping car were manifest. Men in corduroy, men in 

 riding boots, men in riding trousers, men in shooting coats, 

 and all sorts and conditions of men came out upon the plat- 

 form one after another, pulled a flask out of some inner 

 pocket, pointed it at the zenith, then retired for a consulta- 

 tion with, the man at the only wash basin on board, who had 

 brought with him on a wolf-hunt all the toilet articles of 

 his private home. All things have au ending, so even this 

 gentleman's ablutions, and by six o'clock every man on the 

 sleeper was washed, to all outward appearance* and seated 

 at either end the table of the station agent or that of a near- 

 by farmer, enjoying a great breakfast of ham and steak and 

 coffee and — jelly. Jelly for wolf-hunters! 



Pipes and cigars were out, and the thirty odd men who 

 came from Denver and other parts of the United States to 

 see the wolf-hunt, to test the relative speeding, staying and 

 killing qualities of Geo. MacUougal's deerhounds as pitted 

 against Paul Hacke's Russian wolfhounds, began a long 

 wait for the promised horses which were to be used in the 

 chase. 



"How can you tell a gray- wolf from a coyote?" Allan 

 Gullion was heard saying. "Hu f .! Eisy enough. Tell 'em 

 apart a mile off. You see^when a coyote sees a man or a dog 

 up goes his head in the air, and be sidles off a little way and 

 he stops to take another look. When he sidles, and he 

 sidles, and finally is off, but he's got his head in the air all 

 the time. The gray wolf, though, just drops his head, and 

 makes a sneak the miottte he sees you. He's not waiting 

 for any dogs or bullets." 



At 7 o'clock the party left the station in wagons for 

 Seventy ranch, ten in a wagon. Lord Ogilvie joined the 

 party and with Mr. Lowe galloped on ahead. Just as the 

 last wagon was in the middle of the Platte, Van Hummell, 

 Jr., rose to his feet with a bowl, and simultaneously nine 

 'others howled and waved their hands. "A wolf! a wolf!" 

 they shouted. 



"No, no," said C4ullion, "see, he holds his head too high," 

 and sure enough, it. was the pirate of the plains, as every 

 one could see when he began his sneaking lope toward the 

 underbrush 



At S;venty ranch George Presly had number of horses 

 ready, but not enough. Men from the neighboring ranches 

 dropped in singly and in pairs till fully seventy-five people 

 had gathered- It took a long time to get things ready, mean- 

 time telling about each other's fast dogs and former great 

 hunts. A traveling photographer came up and joined the 

 crowd. 



It was 8 o'clock before the advance got away. It consisted 

 of the judges and slip Steward Smith, with' his assistants; 

 next came the wagons and then the mass of riders. Within 

 half a mile the open was reached, a brown plain broken into 

 hillocks and knolls, a party of the hardest riders broke off 

 to the left and another to the right. "Spread out so as to 

 leave forty or fifty feet between each rider," Mr. S. B. Mor- 

 gan ordered, and pretty soon a long crescent was formed, 

 reaching over a mile. It looked very nice, very methodical, 

 very business-like, aud anybody could see that wolves 

 that came within either arm of that crescent would 

 stand no show at all. But wolves were not out hunting 

 crescents this morning. By and by the crescent began to 

 break up into groups. Those who were on the edges spread 

 out further and further and those toward the middle con- 

 verged, so that soon a nucleus of thirty or forty riders was 

 formed and followed the wagons, leaving all the scouting to 

 the enthusiasts. Piowhead's ranch, four miles out, was 

 reached about 9 o'clock, and beyond that the plain became 

 more broken and hilly, and cactus made its appearance. 

 The objective spot was Point o f Rocks, a slight elevation 

 fully described by its name. 



About three miles from Point of Rocks some one raised a 

 shout. It had been agreed beforehand that if a wolf were 

 seen no one should shout. He should wave his hat or ride 

 around in a circle. Therefore, some one raised a shout and 

 pointed toward the south. Every man rose in his stirrups. 

 "There, there! Don't you see it?" a dozen exclaimed. Sure 

 enough, away off on the side of a hill, a mile off, a black 

 form was outlined on the brown earth. 



The wagons containing the dogs were frantically signaled 

 and the horses were put on a dead run. By the time it ar- 

 rived another sight of the wolf, which had darted over the 

 brow of a high knoll, was obtained. The game was half a 

 mile away. "Too far to slip the dogs," announced Judge 

 Lowe. 



"I am willing," said McDougall, but the judges decided it 

 would not be a fair contest, on account of the distanc?. Then 

 the old order, or rather disorder, ensued till some more 

 shouts announced a discovery. Away off in the distance 

 could be seen Howard Ray, manager of the Norman 

 Percheron ranch, tearing after something. Those nearest 

 him— Bruce E iton and W. E. Ingraham— followed hot on 

 the trail. The pace was kept up a mile, when the others 

 saw a wolf bounding over the hills. Ray took a long circuit, 

 and pressed in on the wolf from the south. The wolf darted 

 north, and was loping the hill at a tremendous pace, when a 

 black figure appeared on the crest. It was Eaton, who sped 

 down, whirling a lariat. The wolf turned east, wtien 

 another threatening figure confronted it. Ingraham was 

 closing in on that side. 



The three horsemen narrowed the circle, swinging 

 the lariats. The wolf felt it was doomed. Narrower 

 aud narrower grew the circle, and the lariats made 

 many misses. Meantime, rolling on westward, the circle 

 closed in a half-dozen times, and the wolf snapped its 

 way out. Twice it sprang at the horses' throats. Finally 

 Ray landed a lariat over the shoulders and threw the wolf 

 to the ground, where it lay panting, tongue lolling out and 

 the bright gray eyes watching every movement of its 

 enemies. The dogs were called and fished out of the wagons. 

 The McDougall dog was Black Sam, the half-breed, and the 

 Russian wolfhound was Pospekh. The judges declared that 

 the wolf was then in no condition for the contest, and Dr. 

 Grimes and McDougall both declared unwillingness to turn 

 the dogs on until it rested. So it was agreed to give the wolf 

 an hour's rest. When the wolf staggered to its feet it was 

 seen it was heavy with young. She moved about, barely 

 able to drag ber legs after her. Every time she was not 

 jerked up by the rope she fell fiat and rested her long muzzle 

 on the ground, while the restless eyes roamed from side to 

 side. 



Suddenly the cry arose, "She's loose." It was true. The 

 wolf, with her long, scissor- like molars, had cut the rope 

 and was making a sneak for the open, but a child could 

 have caught up. Ray leisurely galloped out and soon had 

 her relassoed. Twice more this performance was repeated. 

 It was afternoon when all prepared for the contest. 



"Now!" yelled Judge Williams, and the Barzoi and Black 

 Sam started after their prey, which was 300yds. distant. 

 She was making faster strides than before, but it was an 

 easy matter for the dogs to eaten up. Black Sam smashed 

 into her first, striking hi r body as he flew by and she fell to 

 the ground. The Ba-iz n was on her in an instant, but the 

 wolf turned savagely, displaying ngly fang*, and the Barzoi 

 skipped gracefully by. 



7 f hc crowd had closed in, leaving a space of .50 or 6()fc. for 

 the encounter, and whs nearly paralyzed when they saw the 

 B irzoi dash by instead of making the mnch-vaunted grip on 

 the throat or disemboweling the wolf at one lunge. Black 

 Sam returned, cast a look at the wolf and leisurely strolled 

 away. The big Barzoi made a nip at the wolf, but it was a 

 cautious one, and the beast retaliated with a snap. "Bring 

 on more dogs," cried Eaton, and the cry was caught up. 

 Derisive yells met each feeble lunge of the Barzoi at the 

 wolf, met by a sharp snap, which soon showed as a result 

 several red stains on the white coat of the hound. 



The crowd grew wild and hurled sneering remarks at the 

 dogs. The scene was proving painful to the spectators, 

 when Judges Williams and Lowe ordered the dogs drawn 

 off. 



"Let the wolf go," said the. latter, "she has earned her 

 liberty." 



"No, no," came from the ranchers, and a half dozen lariats 

 swung in the air and lauded on the wolf's shoulders and 

 legs. 



"We declare it no course," announced the judges, after a 

 short conference. "The wolf belongs to Mr. Ray. Let him 

 do with it as he pleases." There was no doubt of her fate, 

 for cries of "Shoot her," arose from all sides among the 

 ranchers. The others turned away, and a few seconds'later 

 the sound of a revolver told her fate. 



It was a disgusted crowd that turned away. Dr. Grimes 

 said in excuse for the Barzoi that it was trained to fight 

 doubly, and when it got no help from Black Sam it would 

 not fight. Mr. MacDougall said nothing, but at the next 

 stopping place drew out his revolver and shot his dog dead. 

 "I bought him as a wolf-fighter," he said, "and I was de- 

 ceived. If Alan Breck fights no better I will kill him also, 

 although he's worth $1,000 to me." Then the hunt was 

 renewed, but the ranchers dropped off one by one till only 

 about forty men were left in the party. 



Tuesday. 



The. same straggling bauds could be seen, sometimes three 

 or four miles apart: but no more wolves were seen till about 

 8 o'clock, when two of the party saw one a mile or more 

 away. Sadly they turned homeward, reaching the Seventy 

 ranch at 1:80 o'clock. The ranchers remaining endeavored 

 to get sport by asking the dogmen to let loose their dogs on 

 a young wolf which had been in captivity eight months. 

 McDougall Anally consented and so did Grimes, but with 

 the proviso that McDougall should forfeit if any of his dogs 

 were killed. This fell through, and the party returned to 

 the. sleeping car for the night. 



Another day of fiasco and farce in the great wolf hunt. 

 The derision of forty or fifty ranchers who had assembled to 

 see their deadliest foe trampled to earth, tossed in the air 

 and disemboweled by savage Russian hounds, and had in 

 reality seen a half dead gray wolf scare off a deerhound and 

 chase a wolfhound, had caused the hunters, the "extermin- 

 ators," to grit their teeth and say, "We'll show 'em." 

 Everybody on the sleeping car was up at 5 o'clock this morn- 

 ing, had breakfasted and was at the Seventy ranch by 7. 

 Then the hitch came. Dr. Grimes, the Russian representa- 

 tive, had been slioped up on his arrangements for carrying 

 his wolfhounds from the neighboring ranch and had to "hire 

 a wagon, so really the "exterminators" did not get away till 

 nearly y 



The day was the nastiest possible to conceive of on dry 

 land. A cold north wind s>vept over the bare plain at a 

 forty-mile gote and stirred up sand pellets which struck the 

 party as though aimed from a mitrailleuse. The "extermin- 

 ators" had been reinforced at Seventy ranch by twenty still 

 hopeful mounted ranchers, so that forty destroyers went on 

 the trail, which led in a northerly direction toward Grease- 

 wood Lake. This time the contesting hounds were led by 

 the slippers on horseback instead of being carried in wagons, 

 and frequent stops had to bo made to pick the cactus out of 

 their feet. Alan Breck was the Montana Kennel represen- 

 tative. When a distance of six or seven miles had been 

 traveled a turn was taken in the direction of Point of Rocks, 

 and during the whole time not a wolf was scared up. Nearly 

 twenty-five miles was covered. At noon a halt was called 

 for lunch, and there Lord Ogilvie and nearly all the ranch- 

 ers mounted their cayuses and deserted the expedition. 

 S'owly, almost tearfully, the hounds were packed into the 

 wagons and abeeline was made for Seventy ranch. 



There the usual palavering continued for hours when 

 Judges Williams, Lowe and Heckler had consultation and 

 decided to call the match off. Messrs. Grimes and Mc- 

 Dougall were notified of the decision and did not like it. 

 Both said: "We're willing to stay a year to decide the 

 question of the superiority of the dogs." The latter then 

 said: "Turn Ogi hue's wolf loose and I'll bet you S100 my 

 two deerhounds beat any two of your wolfhounds." 



"I won't," said the Doctor. 



"Bet you two hundred to one," persisted McDougall, pull- 

 ing out a roll. 



"I will not," answered the Doctor, who went on to say 

 that Mr. Haeke had specifically instructed him not to turn 

 out the wolfhounds at any tame wolf, and this seemed for 

 a while to end the whole matter. 



This Ogilvie wolf is a little fellow, about one and a half 

 years old, and has been in captivity eight months. You 

 hear the strangest stories about him here. People will tell 

 you he is a domestic pet: that children take it out walking, 

 play with it, that it helps the dog drive in cattle and eats 

 candy out of the hand. Others say it is a fiend in disguise, 

 constantly wearing out chains in frantic efforts to get free, 

 and that it bites huge fragments out of the woodwork in 

 the shed where it is confined. Altogether it has been tre- 

 mendously mysterious until to-day. 



Grimes's refusal to accept either of McDougal's offers was 

 reported to the crowd, and Conrad Schaffer, W. L. Wash- 

 ington and a half dozen others implored him to let the 

 wolfhounds loose, just to show their quality. They all 

 told him that the reputation of Hacke's kennels would be 

 ruined forever if it got abroad that he was afraid to pit the 

 Barzoi wolfhounds against a wolf. His invariable reply 

 was that he had Mr. Hacke's positive orders not to let the 

 dogs loose on any captive wolf. 



McDougall raised the enthusiasm of the crowd to cheers 

 when he suddenly announced that he would let out his two 

 deerhounds, Alan Breck and Nipsic, on the Ogivie wolf 

 provided that he be allowed to get near enough to shoot 

 the wolf should his dogs' lives be endangered. The wildest 

 enthusiasm was created by this announcement, and once 

 more pressure was brought to bear on Dr. Grimes, "No 

 go," said he, "I will not disobey Mr. Hacke's instructions." 

 It took an hour to arrange preliminaries for the exhibition. 

 It was settled that the wolf be let loose in the pasture 

 adjoining the ranch buildings, and the dogs led out in slip 

 near enough to sight him and then let go. The crowd was 

 herded in an adobe-walled corral until the wolf got into the 

 pasture, as the sight of them might enrage him. 



From every cranny in the corral the men watched with 

 eagerness to see the passage of the wolf from the place it 

 was chained in a shed, through a long yard to the pasture. 

 They soon saw a little freckle-faced boy leading the terrible 

 brute by a rope. The terrible brute was trotting along 



Continued on Page 332. 



