MILTON AND BÚLKA

I bought me a setter to hunt pheasants with. The name of the dog was

Milton. He was a big, thin, gray, spotted dog, with long lips and ears,

and he was very strong and intelligent. He did not fight with Búlka. No

dog ever tried to get into a fight with Búlka. He needed only to show

his teeth, and the dogs would take their tails between their legs and

slink away.

Once I went with Milton to hunt pheasants. Suddenly Búlka ran after me

to the forest. I wanted to drive him back, but could not do so; and it

was too far for me to take him home. I thought he would not be in my

way, and so walked on; but the moment Milton scented a pheasant in the

grass and began to search for it, Búlka rushed forward and tossed from

side to side. He tried to scare up the pheasant before Milton. He heard

something in the grass, and jumped and whirled around; but he had a poor

scent and could not find the track himself, but watched Milton, to see

where he was running. The moment Milton started on the trail, Búlka ran

ahead of him. I called Búlka back and beat him, but could not do a thing

with him. The moment Milton began to search, he darted forward and

interfered with him.

I was already on the point of going home, because I thought that the

chase was spoiled; but Milton found a better way of cheating Búlka. This

is what he did: the moment Búlka rushed ahead of him, he gave up the

trail and turned in another direction, pretending that he was searching

there. Búlka rushed there where Milton was, and Milton looked at me and

wagged his tail and went back to the right trail. Búlka again ran up to

Milton and rushed past him, and again Milton took some ten steps to one

side and cheated Búlka, and again led me straight; and so he cheated

Búlka all the way and did not let him spoil the chase.

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