Out Home

The Passing of Little Sam

The Passing of Little Sam IT WAS A GOOD YEAR FOR RABBIT PRODUCTION. It's a good winter for hunting. But the rabbits around home are safer this winter, and Saturday has lost its music. Little Sam is gone. He was a scruffy, thicket-torn little beagle that owned my friend Big John Stetson. He was small enough to ride in Big John's hunting coat, but big enough to be boss. That Little Sam was the smelliest dog we've ever known. Riding with him in a closed car when he was excited was enough to gag a maggot. He was the only dog that actually smelled better after fighting a skunk. Sam smelled every way that a dog can smell, and a few extra ways that he invented. But he smelled best with his nose, and that's what counted. He was the slowest of all slow-trailers. A blind rabbit with the gout could outrun him. The older he got, the slower he got. That worked out fine, because a rabbit was never scared enough to hole up. Little Sam sort of lulled the rabbit into a sense of false security. He'd turn that rabbit easy-like, and sing him right back into your pocket. 43 The Passing of Little Sam IT WAS AGOOD yEAl fOJI ....UIT nODt a dog Can smell. and a few utr~ ways th~t he inve.nted. But he sme.lled belt with hi. nose, and thaI's what counted. He wu the slow,,"1 of all SIDW_tr~ilers. A blind r~bbit with the gaUl could outrun him. The older he gOI, Ihe slower he got. Th.lt worked out fine, bec~use a rabbit wu never lC~red enough to hole up. little Sam sort of lulled Ihe rabbit into a senoe of faloe I«urity. He'd tum th~t rabbit e~sy-Iike, ~nd sing him right back into your pocket. " The Passing of Little Sam IT WAS AGOOD yEAl fOJI ....UIT nODt a dog Can smell. and a few utr~ ways th~t he inve.nted. But he sme.lled belt with hi. nose, and thaI's what counted. He wu the slow,,"1 of all SIDW_tr~ilers. A blind r~bbit with the gaUl could outrun him. The older he gOI, Ihe slower he got. Th.lt worked out fine, bec~use a rabbit wu never lC~red enough to hole up. little Sam sort of lulled Ihe rabbit into a senoe of faloe I«urity. He'd tum th~t rabbit e~sy-Iike, ~nd sing him right back into your pocket. " 44 JOHN MADSON On our last hunt together, we had twelve fine races with Sam, bagged a few rabbits and educated some others, and there wasn't a cottontail in the bunch that ever drew a deep breath. Being chased by Sam was a very restful occupation. Little Sam trained at least three small boys. My Chris shot his first rabbits ahead of Sam, and so did Big John's oldest sons, Johnny and Jeff. Sam knew the rabbit, and he knew the boys, and he divided his heart between them. Sam wandered off down the creek a while back. He was almost eleven years old, and ailing. We like to think that he was chasing one last rabbit, and he probably was, because not even the grim business of dying could have been more important to Sam than the happy business of rabbits. We wonder if that last rabbit sensed the honor that was being paid him. Attaboy, Little Sam! Ho, Sam! Speak to him! 44 JOHN MADSON On our last hunt together, we had twelve fine races with Sam, bagged a few rabbits and educated some others, and there wasn't a cottontail in the bunch that ever drew a deep breath. Being chased by Sam was a very restful occupation. Little Sam trained at least three small boys. My Chris shot his first rabbits ahead of Sam, and so did Big John's oldest sons, Johnny and Jeff. Sam knew the rabbit, and he knew the boys, and he divided his heart between them. Sam wandered off down the creek a while back. He was almost eleven years old, and ailing. We like to think that he was chasing one last rabbit, and he probably was, because not even the grim business of dying could have been more important to Sam than the happy business of rabbits. We wonder...