overed
with sage-brush higher than the Dogs' heads.

But Hilton called, "Hu, hu, Dander," and leaned aside from his saddle,
holding out his foot at the same time. With one agile bound Dander
leaped to the saddle and there stood balancing on the Horse while
Hilton kept pointing. "There he is, Dander; sic him--see him down
there." The Dog gazed earnestly where his master pointed, then seeming
to see, he sprang to the ground with a slight yelp and sped away. The
other Dogs followed after, in an ever-lengthening procession, and we
rode as hard as we could behind them, but losing time, for the ground
was cut with gullies, spotted with badger-holes, and covered with rocks
and sage that made full speed too hazardous.

We all fell behind, and I was last, of course, being least accustomed
to the saddle. We got several glimpses of the Dogs flying over the
level plain or dropping from sight in gullies to reappear at the other
side. Dander, the Greyhound, was the recognized leader, and as we
mounted another ridge we got sight of the whole chase--a Coyote at full
speed, the Dogs a quarter of a mile behind, but gaining. When next we
saw them the Coyote was dead, and the Dogs sitting around panting, all
but two of the Foxhounds and Gingersnap.

"Too late for the fracas," remarked Hilton, glancing at these last
Foxhounds. Then he proudly petted Dander. "Didn't need yer purp after
all, ye see."

"Takes a heap of nerve for ten big Dogs to face one little Coyote,"
remarked the father, sarcastically. "Wait till we run onto a Gray."

Next day we were out again, for I made up my mind to see it to a finish.

From a high point we caught sight of a moving speck of gray. A moving
white speck stands for Antelope, a red speck for Fox, a gray speck for
either Gray-wolf or Coyote, and which of these is determined by its
tail. If the glass shows the tail down, it is a Coyote; if up, it is
the hated Gray-wolf.

Dander was shown the game as before and led the motley mixed
procession--as he had before--Greyhounds, Wolfhounds, Foxhounds, Danes,
Bull-terrier, horsemen. We got a momentary view of the pursuit; a
Gray-wolf it surely was, loping away ahead of the Dogs. Somehow I
thought the first Dogs were not running so fast now as they had after
the Coyote. But no one knew the finish of the hunt. The Dogs came back
to us one by one, and we saw no more of that Wolf.

Sarcastic remarks and recrimination were now freely indulged in by the
hunters.