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Authors: Daniel P. Mannix
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on the far side, and then they disappeared.
"Make down the hill," said Abe Zook, jumping back in the car.
They drove until nearly ten o'clock without seeing or hearing the hounds. Then they came on Lapp, walking wearily along with his gun over his shoulder, and no dogs. They stopped and he climbed into the car.
"I heard them a couple of times," he explained. "The dogs wanted to go so I turned them loose. Seems to me he's left the country by now."
Abe Zook shook his head. "I think not. They are pressing him too hard. He will stay where he knows the land."
"Then they've lost him," returned Lapp. "I ain't heard nothing for an hour or more."
Billy said suddenly, "There's a dog."
A hound was trotting along the road ahead of them, looking neither to the right nor left, and seemingly headed for home. "It's Buck!" said Yoder and speeded up the car. Buck jumped in gratefully and lay panting on the rear seat across Billy's lap.
Within a mile they came on Spot, Rock, and Squealer, heads down, tongues out, ears trailing. The men stopped, and loading the exhausted animals into the car, continued on. They were driving slowly along a stretch of road they had been over a dozen times that morning when Abe Zook abruptly leaned forward and pointed toward a valley below them. "Look once!"
In a distant field, they could see a flock of sheep running insane with fright. "Out, out!" bellowed Lapp, and the men tumbled out of the car—even forgetting to take their guns. Billy shouted and pointed. Running through the flock was another form that looked like a gray sheep. It was heading their way.
The men jostled each other and nearly knocked Billy over getting their guns. He ducked out of their way, guarding his sore hand with the other. Lapp seized his gun and started down the road at a run. "Wait for the car!" shouted Yoder. "Ain't got the time," Lapp called back over his shoulder. The gray shape had disappeared behind some farm buildings and Lapp ran across a field to intercept it. Now Billy could see two dots toiling across the far meadow toward the sheep. He knew they must be Wasser and Blue, still on the trail.
Yoder threw open the door of the car and the hounds burst out, racing after Lapp. "I'm going down the road. Want to stay with me?"
"No, better it is we get out here. I am going to the swamp. They will head there maybe," replied Zook, already half out of the car. Billy followed him, and they hit the road as the car tore off.
Zook glanced up at the darkening sky. "It makes down soon. Now, we run a little."
They set off at a trot. After a few hundred yards Zook left the road, pushing through a screen of sumac, and below him Billy could see a swamp covering some ten acres, green with scum and picketed by swordgrass and cattails.
As they started forward, Blue's bugle voice sounded. Both man and boy froze at the sound. Then came Wasser's cracked bay. To their left was the sound of the other hounds crashing through the underbrush to join the leaders.
Suddenly came the crash of the whole pack opening up. The quarry must have been right ahead of them, for they were clearly hunting by sight. Abe Zook started running, with Billy gasping after him, unable to keep up and half-crying for rage and eagerness.
The cry of the pack was coming closer. They had reached the edge of an aster-goldenrod bog connecting with the main swamp. Here Abe stopped. He stood beside a great ash with his gun at the ready. "Make still yet," he hissed as Billy came up. The boy leaned against the trunk, trying to control his panting and nursing his sore hand.
The pack was coming steadily nearer. Certainly the quarry was headed toward the swamp. At any moment he might break from the woods and be in sight. Abruptly they heard Wasser give a frenzied yelp and then start screaming. Running to meet the pack, he must have come on the coyote.
Then they saw Wasser running all out, screeching his head off, headed for the swamp. For an instant they could see nothing more.
"Make down the hill," said Abe Zook, jumping back in the car.
They drove until nearly ten o'clock without seeing or hearing the hounds. Then they came on Lapp, walking wearily along with his gun over his shoulder, and no dogs. They stopped and he climbed into the car.
"I heard them a couple of times," he explained. "The dogs wanted to go so I turned them loose. Seems to me he's left the country by now."
Abe Zook shook his head. "I think not. They are pressing him too hard. He will stay where he knows the land."
"Then they've lost him," returned Lapp. "I ain't heard nothing for an hour or more."
Billy said suddenly, "There's a dog."
A hound was trotting along the road ahead of them, looking neither to the right nor left, and seemingly headed for home. "It's Buck!" said Yoder and speeded up the car. Buck jumped in gratefully and lay panting on the rear seat across Billy's lap.
Within a mile they came on Spot, Rock, and Squealer, heads down, tongues out, ears trailing. The men stopped, and loading the exhausted animals into the car, continued on. They were driving slowly along a stretch of road they had been over a dozen times that morning when Abe Zook abruptly leaned forward and pointed toward a valley below them. "Look once!"
In a distant field, they could see a flock of sheep running insane with fright. "Out, out!" bellowed Lapp, and the men tumbled out of the car—even forgetting to take their guns. Billy shouted and pointed. Running through the flock was another form that looked like a gray sheep. It was heading their way.
The men jostled each other and nearly knocked Billy over getting their guns. He ducked out of their way, guarding his sore hand with the other. Lapp seized his gun and started down the road at a run. "Wait for the car!" shouted Yoder. "Ain't got the time," Lapp called back over his shoulder. The gray shape had disappeared behind some farm buildings and Lapp ran across a field to intercept it. Now Billy could see two dots toiling across the far meadow toward the sheep. He knew they must be Wasser and Blue, still on the trail.
Yoder threw open the door of the car and the hounds burst out, racing after Lapp. "I'm going down the road. Want to stay with me?"
"No, better it is we get out here. I am going to the swamp. They will head there maybe," replied Zook, already half out of the car. Billy followed him, and they hit the road as the car tore off.
Zook glanced up at the darkening sky. "It makes down soon. Now, we run a little."
They set off at a trot. After a few hundred yards Zook left the road, pushing through a screen of sumac, and below him Billy could see a swamp covering some ten acres, green with scum and picketed by swordgrass and cattails.
As they started forward, Blue's bugle voice sounded. Both man and boy froze at the sound. Then came Wasser's cracked bay. To their left was the sound of the other hounds crashing through the underbrush to join the leaders.
Suddenly came the crash of the whole pack opening up. The quarry must have been right ahead of them, for they were clearly hunting by sight. Abe Zook started running, with Billy gasping after him, unable to keep up and half-crying for rage and eagerness.
The cry of the pack was coming closer. They had reached the edge of an aster-goldenrod bog connecting with the main swamp. Here Abe stopped. He stood beside a great ash with his gun at the ready. "Make still yet," he hissed as Billy came up. The boy leaned against the trunk, trying to control his panting and nursing his sore hand.
The pack was coming steadily nearer. Certainly the quarry was headed toward the swamp. At any moment he might break from the woods and be in sight. Abruptly they heard Wasser give a frenzied yelp and then start screaming. Running to meet the pack, he must have come on the coyote.
Then they saw Wasser running all out, screeching his head off, headed for the swamp. For an instant they could see nothing more.
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