Two Good Back-Loads Apiece Filled The Hand-Cart;
And That Was Each One's Proportion.
When each had brought down
his second load, we filled the hand-cart, and took our way again
slowly back, and unloading, covering the hides for the night,
and getting our supper, finished the day's work.
These wooding excursions had always a mixture of something
rather pleasant in them. Roaming about in the woods with hatchet
in hand, like a backwoodsman, followed by a troop of dogs; starting
up of birds, snakes, hares and foxes, and examining the various kinds
of trees, flowers, and birds' nests, was at least, a change from
the monotonous drag and pull on shipboard. Frequently, too,
we had some amusement and adventure. The coati, of which I have
before spoken, - a sort of mixture of the fox and wolf breeds, - fierce
little animals, with bushy tails and large heads, and a quick, sharp
bark, abound here, as in all other parts of California. These,
the dogs were very watchful for, and whenever they saw them,
started off in full run after them. We had many fine chases;
yet, although our dogs ran finely, the rascals generally escaped.
They are a match for the dog, - -one to one, - but as the dogs
generally went in squads, there was seldom a fair fight. A smaller
dog, belonging to us, once attacked a coati, single, and got a good
deal worsted, and might perhaps have been killed had we not come to
his assistance. We had, however, one dog which gave them a good
deal of trouble, and many hard runs. He was a fine, tall fellow,
and united strength and agility better than any dog that I have
ever seen. He was born at the Islands, his father being an English
mastiff, and his mother a greyhound. He had the high head, long legs,
narrow body, and springing gait of the latter, and the heavy jaw,
thick jowls, and strong fore-quarters of the mastiff. When he was
brought to San Diego, an English sailor said that he looked,
about the face, precisely like the Duke of Wellington, whom he had
once seen at the Tower; and, indeed, there was something about him
which resembled the portraits of the Duke. From this time he was
christened "Welly," and became the favorite and bully of the beach.
He always led the dogs by several yards in the chase, and had killed
two coati at different times in single combats. We often had fine
sport with these fellows. A quick, sharp bark from a coati, and in
an instant every dog was at the height of his speed. A few moments
made up for an unfair start, and gave each dog his relative place.
Welly, at the head, seemed almost to skim over the bushes; and after
him came Fanny, Feliciana, Childers, and the other fleet ones, -
the spaniels and terriers; and then behind, followed the heavy
corps - bulldogs, etc., for we had every breed.
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