按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
that of the fox。 It is not really the hunting proper which is the
point of fox…hunting。 It is the horsemanship； the galloping and
jumping； and the being out in the open air。 Very naturally； however；
men who have passed their lives as fox…hunters grow to regard the
chase and the object of it alike with superstitious veneration。 They
attribute almost mythical characters to the animal。 I know some of my
good Virginian friends； for instance； who seriously believe that the
Virginia red fox is a beast quite unparalleled for speed and endurance
no less than for cunning。 This is of course a mistake。 Compared with a
wolf； an antelope； or even a deer； the fox's speed and endurance do
not stand very high。 A good pack of hounds starting him close would
speedily run into him in the open。 The reason that the hunts last so
long in some cases is because of the nature of the ground which favors
the fox at the expense of the dogs； because of his having the
advantage in the start； and because of his cunning in turning to
account everything which will tell in his favor and against his
pursuers。 In the same way I know plenty of English friends who speak
with bated breath of fox…hunting but look down upon riding to drag…
hounds。 Of course there is a difference in the two sports； and the fun
of actually hunting the wild beast in the one case more than
compensates for the fact that in the other the riding is apt to be
harder and the jumping higher； but both sports are really artificial；
and in their essentials alike。 To any man who has hunted big game in a
wild country the stress laid on the differences between them seems a
little absurd； in fact cockney。 It is of course nothing against either
that it is artificial； so are all sports in long…civilized countries；
from lacrosse to ice yachting。
It is amusing to see how natural it is for each man to glorify the
sport to which he has been accustomed at the expense of any other。 The
old…school French sportsman； for instance； who followed the bear；
stag； and hare with his hounds； always looked down upon the chase of
the fox； whereas the average Englishman not only asserts but seriously
believes that no other kind of chase can compare with it； although in
actual fact the very points in which the Englishman is superior to the
continental sportsmanthat is； in hard and straight…riding and
jumpingare those which drag…hunting tends to develop rather more
than fox…hunting proper。 In the mere hunting itself the continental
sportsman is often unsurpassed。
Once； beyond the Missouri； I met an expatriated German baron； an
unfortunate who had failed utterly in the rough life of the frontier。
He was living in a squalid little hut； almost unfurnished； but studded
around with the diminutive horns of the European roebuck。 These were
the only treasures he had taken with him to remind him of his former
life； and he was never tired of describing what fun it was to shoot
roebucks when driven by the little crooked…legged /dachshunds/。 There
were plenty of deer and antelope roundabout； yielding good sport to
any rifleman； but this exile cared nothing for them； they were not
roebucks； and they could not be chased with his beloved /dachshunds/。
So； among my neighbors in the cattle country； is a gentleman from
France； a very successful ranchman and a thoroughly good fellow； he
cares nothing for hunting big game； and will not go after it； but is
devoted to shooting cotton…tails in the snow； this being a pastime
having much resemblance to one of the recognized sports of his own
land。
However； our own people afford precisely similar instances。 I have met
plenty of men accustomed to killing wild turkeys and deer with small…
bore rifles in the southern forests who； when they got on the plains
and in the Rockies； were absolutely helpless。 They not only failed to
become proficient in the art of killing big game at long ranges with
the large…bore rifle； at the cost of fatiguing tramps； but they had a
positive distaste of the sport and would never allow that it equalled
their own stealthy hunts in eastern forests。 So I know plenty of men；
experts with the shot…gun； who honestly prefer shooting quail in the
East over well…trained setters or pointers； to the hardier； manlier
sports of the wilderness。
As it is with hunting； so it is with riding。 The cowboy's scorn of
every method of riding save his own is as profound and as ignorant as
is that of the school rider； jockey； or fox…hunter。 The truth is that
each of these is best in his own sphere and is at a disadvantage when
made to do the work of any of the others。 For all…around riding and
horsemanship； I think the West Point graduate is somewhat ahead of any
of them。 Taken as a class； however； and compared with other classes as
numerous； and not with a few exceptional individuals； the cowboy； like
the Rocky Mountain stage…driver； has no superiors anywhere for his own
work； and they are fine fellows； these iron…nerved reinsmen and rough…
riders。
When Buffalo Bill took his cowboys to Europe they made a practice in
England； France； Germany； and Italy of offering to break and ride； in
their own fashion； any horse given them。 They were frequently given
spoiled animals from the cavalry services in the different countries
through which they passed； animals with which the trained horse…
breakers of the European armies could do nothing； and yet in almost
all cases the cowpunchers and bronco…busters with Buffalo Bill
mastered these beasts as readily as they did their own western horses。
At their own work of mastering and riding rough horses they could not
be matched by their more civilized rivals； but I have great doubts
whether they in turn would not have been beaten if they had essayed
kinds of horsemanship utterly alien to their past experience； such as
riding mettled thoroughbreds in a steeple…chase； or the like。 Other
things being equal （which； however； they generally are not）； a bad；
big horse fed on oats offers a rather more difficult problem than a
bad little horse fed on grass。 After Buffalo Bill's men had returned；
I occasionally heard it said that they had tried cross…country riding
in England； and had shown themselves pre…eminently skilful thereat；
doing better than the English fox…hunters； but this I take the liberty
to disbelieve。 I was in England at the time； hunted occasionally
myself； and was with many of the men who were all the time riding in
the most famous hunts； men； too； who were greatly impressed with the
exhibitions of rough riding then being given by Buffalo Bill and his
men； and who talked of them much； and yet I never； at the time； heard
of an instance in which one of the cowboys rode to hounds with any
marked success。＇*＇ In the same way I have sometimes in New York or
London heard of men who； it was alleged； had been out West and proved
better riders than the bronco…busters themselves； just as I have heard
of similar men who were able to go out hunting in the Rockies or on
the plains and get more game than the western hunters； but in the
course of a long experience in the West I have yet to see any of these
men； whether from the eastern States or from Europe； actually show
such superiority or perform such feats。
＇*＇ It is however； quite possible； now that Buffalo Bill's company has
crossed the water several times； that a number of the cowboys have
by practice become proficient in riding to hounds； and in steeple…
chasing。
It would be interesting to compare the performances of the Australian
stock…riders with those of our own cowpunchers； both in cow…work and
in riding。 The Australians have an entirely different kind of saddle；
and the use of the rope is unknown among them。 A couple of years ago
the famous western rifle…shot； Carver； took some cowboys out to
Australia； and I am informed that many of the Australians began
themselves to practise with the rope after seeing the way it was used
by the Americans。 An Australian gentleman； Mr。 A。 J。 Sage； of
Melbourne； to whom I had written asking how the saddles and styles of
riding compared； answered me as follows：
〃With regard to saddles； here it is a moot question which is the
better； yours or ours； for buck…jumpers。 Carver's boys rode in
their own saddles against our Victorians in theirs； all on
Australian buckers； and honors seemed easy。 Each was good in his
own style； but the horses were not what I should call really good
buckers； such as you might get on a back station； and so there was
nothing in the show that could unseat the cowboys。 It is only back
in the bush that you can get a really good bucker。 I have often
seen one of them put both man and saddle off。〃
This last is a feat I have myself seen performed in the West。 I
suppose the amount of it is that both the American and the Australian
rough riders are； for their own work； just as good as men possibly can
be。
One spring I had to leave the East in the midst of the hunting season；
to join a roundup in the cattle country of western Dakota； and it was
curious to compare the totally different styles of riding of the
cowboys and the cross…country men。 A stock…saddle weighs thirty or
forty pounds inst