Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper: Autobiography, experiences and observations of Eldred Nathaniel Woodcock during his fifty years of hunting and trapping.Woodcock, E. N. (Eldred Nathaniel)
General
Fifty Years a Hunter and Trapper: Autobiography, experiences and observations of Eldred Nathaniel Woodcock during his fifty years of hunting and trapping.
Woodcock, E. N. (Eldred Nathaniel)
Hunting; Trapping
Several years ago I had a partner who had a dog--part stag hound and
the other part just dog, I think. One day he, my partner, asked if I
would object to his bringing the dog to camp, saying that his wife
was going on a visit and he had no place to leave the dog. I told him
that if he had a good dog I would be glad to have the dog in camp. In
a day or two pard went home and brought in the dog. Well, when he
came, the dog was following along behind his master with tail and
ears drooping, and looking as though he had never heard a kind word
in his life. I asked if the dog was any good and he replied that he
did not know how good he was. I asked the name of the dog. He said,
"Oh, I call him Pont." I spoke to the dog, calling him by name. The
dog looked at me wistfully, wagging his tail. The look that dog gave
me said as plain as words that that was the first kind word he had
ever heard.
We went inside and the dog started to follow, when his master in a
harsh voice said "get out of here." I said, "Where do you expect the
dog to go?" I then took an old coat that was in the camp, placed it
in a corner and called gently to Pont, patted the coat and told Pont
to lay down on the coat which the dog did. I patted the dog, saying,
"that is a good place for Pont," and I can see that wistful gaze that
dog gave me now. After we had our supper I asked my partner if he
wasn't going to fix Pont some supper. "Oh, after awhile I will see if
I can find something for him." I took a biscuit from the table,
spread some butter on it, called the dog to me, broke the biscuit in
pieces and gave it to the dog from my hand, then I found an old basin
that chanced to be about the camp and fixed the dog a good supper.
After the dog had finished his supper I went to the coat in the
corner, spoke gently to Pont, patted the coat and told Pont to lay
down on the coat. That was the end of that, Pont knew his place and
took it without further trouble.
The next morning when we were about ready to start out on the trap
line I asked pard what he intended to do with Pont. He said that he
would tie him to a tree that stood against the shanty close to the
door. We were going to take different lines of traps. I said, "What
is the harm of Pont going with me?" "All right, if you want him but I
don't want any dog with me." I said, "Am (that was pard's given name,
for short), I do not believe that dog wants to go with you any more
than you want him." Am's reply was that he guessed he would go all
right if he wanted him. I said, "Am, just for shucks, say nothing to
the dog and see which one he will follow." So we stepped outside the
shack and the dog stood close to me.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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