hunting the grisly and other sketches-第28章

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Kentucky；　has　bred　his　own　thoroughbred　horses　and　thoroughbred　hounds
for　many　years；　and　during　a　series　of　long　hunting　trips　extending
over　nearly　a　quarter　of　a　century　he　has　tried　his　pack　on　almost
every　game　animal　to　be　found　among　the　foot…hills　of　the　Rockies　and
on　the　great　plains。　His　dogs；　both　smooth…haired　greyhounds　and
rough…coated　deer…hounds；　have　been　bred　by　him　for　generations　with　a
special　view　to　the　chase　of　big　gamenot　merely　of　hares；　they　are
large　animals；　excelling　not　only　in　speed　but　in　strength；　endurance；
and　ferocious　courage。　The　survivors　of　his　old　pack　are　literally
seamed　all　over　with　the　scars　of　innumerable　battles。　When　several
dogs　were　together　they　would　stop　a　bull…elk；　and　fearlessly　assail　a
bear　or　cougar。　This　pack　scored　many　a　triumph　over　blacktail；
whitetail；　and　prong…buck。　For　a　few　hundred　yards　the　deer　were　very
fast；　but　in　a　run　of　any　duration　the　antelope　showed　much　greater
speed；　and　gave　the　dogs　far　more　trouble；　although　always　overtaken
in　the　end；　if　a　good　start　had　been　obtained。　Col。　Williams　is　a　firm
believer　in　the　power　of　the　thoroughbred　horse　to　outturn　any　animal
that　breathes；　in　a　long　chase；　he　has　not　infrequently　run　down　deer；
when　they　were　jumped　some　miles　from　cover；　and　on　two　or　three
occasions　he　ran　down　uninjured　antelope；　but　in　each　case　only　after
a　desperate　ride　of　miles；　which　in　one　instance　resulted　in　the　death
of　his　gallant　horse。

This　coursing　on　the　prairie；　especially　after　big　game；　is　an
exceedingly　manly　and　attractive　sport；　the　furious　galloping；　often
over　rough　ground　with　an　occasional　deep　washout　or　gully；　the　sight
of　the　gallant　hounds　running　and　tackling；　and　the　exhilaration　of
the　pure　air　and　wild　surrounding；　all　combine　to　give　it　a　peculiar
zest。　But　there　is　really　less　need　of　bold　and　skilful　horsemanship
than　in　the　otherwise　less　attractive　and　more　artificial　sport　of
fox…hunting；　or　riding　to　hounds；　in　a　closed　and　long…settled
country。

Those　of　us　who　are　in　part　of　southern　blood　have　a　hereditary　right
to　be　fond　of　cross…country　riding；　for　our　forefathers　in　Virginia；
Georgia；　or　the　Carolinas；　have　for　six　generations　followed　the　fox
with　horse；　horn；　and　hound。　In　the　long…settled　Northern　States　the
sport　has　been　less　popular；　though　much　more　so　now　than　formerly；
yet　it　has　always　existed；　here　and　there；　and　in　certain　places　has
been　followed　quite　steadily。

In　no　place　in　the　Northeast　is　hunting　the　wild　red　fox　put　on　a　more
genuine　and　healthy　basis　than　in　the　Geneseo　Valley；　in　central　New
York。　There　has　always　been　fox…hunting　in　this　valley；　the　farmers
having　good　horses　and　being　fond　of　sport；　but　it　was　conducted　in　a
very　irregular；　primitive　manner；　until　some　twenty　years　ago　Mr。
Austin　Wadsworth　turned　his　attention　to　it。　He　has　been　master　of
fox…hounds　ever　since；　and　no　pack　in　the　country　has　yielded　better
sport　than　his；　or　has　brought　out　harder　riders　among　the　men　and
stronger　jumpers　among　the　horses。　Mr。　Wadsworth　began　his　hunting　by
picking　up　some　of　the　various　trencher…fed　hounds　of　the
neighborhood；　the　hunting　of　that　period　being　managed　on　the
principle　of　each　farmer　bringing　to　the　meet　the　hound　or　hounds　he
happened　to　possess；　and　appearing　on　foot　or　horseback　as　his　fancy
dictated。　Having　gotten　together　some　of　these　native　hounds　and
started　fox…hunting　in　localities　where　the　ground　was　so　open　as　to
necessitate　following　the　chase　on　horseback；　Mr。　Wadsworth　imported　a
number　of　dogs　from　the　best　English　kennels。　He　found　these　to　be
much　faster　than　the　American　dogs　and　more　accustomed　to　work
together；　but　less　enduring；　and　without　such　good　noses。　The　American
hounds　were　very　obstinate　and　self…willed。　Each　wished　to　work　out
the　trail　for　himself。　But　once　found；　they　would　puzzle　it　out；　no
matter　how　cold；　and　would　follow　it　if　necessary　for　a　day　and　night。
By　a　judicious　crossing　of　the　two　Mr。　Wadsworth　finally　got　his
present　fine　pack；　which　for　its　own　particular　work　on　its　own　ground
would　be　hard　to　beat。　The　country　ridden　over　is　well　wooded；　and
there　are　many　foxes。　The　abundance　of　cover；　however；　naturally
decreases　the　number　of　kills。　It　is　a　very　fertile　land；　and　there
are　few　farming　regions　more　beautiful；　for　it　is　prevented　from　being
too　tame　in　aspect　by　the　number　of　bold　hills　and　deep　ravines。　Most
of　the　fences　are　high　posts…and…rails　or　〃snake〃　fences；　although
there　is　an　occasional　stone　wall；　haha；　or　water…jump。　The　steepness
of　the　ravines　and　the　density　of　the　timber　make　it　necessary　for　a
horse　to　be　sure…footed　and　able　to　scramble　anywhere；　and　the　fences
are　so　high　that　none　but　very　good　jumpers　can　possibly　follow　the
pack。　Most　of　the　horses　used　are　bred　by　the　farmers　in　the
neighborhood；　or　are　from　Canada；　and　they　usually　have　thoroughbred
or　trotting…stock　blood　in　them。

One　of　the　pleasantest　days　I　ever　passed　in　the　saddle　was　after　Mr。
Wadsworth's　hounds。　I　was　staying　with　him　at　the　time；　in　company
with　my　friend　Senator　Cabot　Lodge；　of　Boston。　The　meet　was　about
twelve　miles　distant　from　the　house。　It　was　only　a　small　field　of　some
twenty…five　riders；　but　there　was　not　one　who　did　not　mean　going。　I
was　mounted　on　a　young　horse；　a　powerful；　big…boned　black；　a　great
jumper；　though　perhaps　a　trifle　hot…headed。　Lodge　was　on　a　fine　bay；
which　could　both　run　and　jump。　There　were　two　or　three　other　New
Yorkers　and　Bostonians　present；　several　men　who　had　come　up　from
Buffalo　for　the　run；　a　couple　of　retired　army　officers；　a　number　of
farmers　from　the　neighborhood；　and　finally　several　members　of　a　noted
local　family　of　hard　riders；　who　formed　a　class　by　themselves；　all
having　taken　naturally　to　every　variety　of　horsemanship　from　earliest
infancy。

It　was　a　thoroughly　democratic　assemblage；　every　one　was　there　for
sport；　and　nobody　cared　an　ounce　how　he　or　anybody　else　was　dressed。
Slouch　hats；　brown　coats；　corduroy　breeches；　and　leggings；　or　boots；
were　the　order　of　the　day。　We　cast　off　in　a　thick　wood。　The　dogs
struck　a　trail　almost　immediately　and　were　off　with　clamorous　yelping；
while　the　hunt　thundered　after　them　like　a　herd　of　buffaloes。　We　went
headlong　down　the　hill…side　into　and　across　a　brook。　Here　the　trail
led　straight　up　a　sheer　bank。　Most　of　the　riders　struck　off　to　the
left　for　an　easier　place；　which　was　unfortunate　for　them；　for　the
eight　of　us　who　went　straight　up　the　side　（one　man's　horse　falling
back　with　him）　were　the　only　ones　who　kept　on　terms　with　the　hounds。
Almost　as　soon　as　we　got　to　the　top　of　the　bank　we　came　out　of　the
woods　over　a　low　but　awkward　rail　fence；　where　one　of　our　number；　who
was　riding　a　very　excitable　sorrel　colt；　got　a　fall。　This　left　but
six；　including　the　whip。　There　were　two　or　three　large　fields　with　low
fences；　then　we　came　to　two　high；　stiff　doubles；　the　first　real
jumping　of　the　day；　the　fences　being　over　four　feet　six；　and　so　close
together　that　the　horses　barely　had　a　chance　to　gather　themselves。　We
got　over；　however；　crossed　two　or　three　stump…strewn　fields；　galloped
through　an　open　wood；　picked　our　way　across　a　marshy　spot；　jumped　a
small　brook　and　two　or　three　stiff　fences；　and　then　came　a　check。　Soon
the　hounds　recovered　the　line　and　swung　off　to　the　right；　back　across
four　or　five　fields；　so　as　to　enable　the　rest　of　the　hunt；　by　making
an　angle；　to　come　up。　Then　we　jumped　over　a　very　high　board　fence　into
the　main　road；　out　of　it　again；　and　on　over　ploughed　fields　and　grass
lands；　separated　by　stiff　snake　fences。　The　run　had　been　fast　and　the
horses　were　beginning　to　tail。　By　the　time　we　suddenly　rattled　down
into　a　deep　ravine　and　scrambled　up　the　other　side　through　thick
timber　there　were　but　four　of　us　left；　Lodge　and　myself　being　two　of
the　lucky　ones。　Beyond　this　ravine　we　came　to　one　of　the　worst　jumps
of　the　day；　a　fence　out　of　the　wood；　which　was　practicable　only　at　one
spot；　where　a　kind　of　cattle　trail　led　up　to　a　panel。　It　was　within　an
inch　or　two　of　five　feet　high。　However；　the　horses；　thoroughly　trained
to　timber　jumping　and　to　rough　and　hard　scrambling　in　awkward　places