Stories of My Dogs

Chapter 8 : The End Of Bulka And Milton
Bulka and Milton met their death about the same time. The old Cossack did not understand how to treat Milton. Instead of taking him with him only when he went after birds, he tried to make a boar-hunter of him. That same autumn a sekatch l boar gored him. No one knew how to sew up the wound, and Milton died. Bulka also did not live long after his rescue from the convicts. Soon after his rescue from the convicts, he began to mope and to lick everything that came in his way. He would lick my hand, but not as in former days when he meant to caress me. He licked long, and energetically thrust out his tongue, and then he began to seize things with his teeth. Evidently he felt the impulse to bite the hand, but tried to refrain. I did not like to let him have my hand. 1 Sekatch is a two-year-old wild boar, with sharp, straight tusks. AUTHOR'S NOTE. Then he began to lick my boot and the table leg, and then to bite th... (From : Wikisource.org.)

Chapter 7 : What Happened To Bulka At Pyetigorsk
From the stanitsa, I did not return directly to Russia, but stopped at Pyetigorsk, and there I spent two months. I gave Milton to the old Cossack hunter, but Bulka I took with me to Pyetigorsk. Pyetigorsk, or Five Mountain, is so called because it is built on Mount Besh-Tau. Besh in the Tartar language means five ; and Tau, mountain. From this mountain flows a sulfur hot spring. The water boils like a kettle, and over the spot where the waters spring from the mountain steam always rises, just as it does from a samovar. The whole region where the city is built is very charm- ing. The hot springs flow down from the mountains ; at their feet flows the little river Podkumok. The hill- sides are clothed with forests ; in all directions are fields, and on the horizon rise the mighty mountains of the Cau- casus. The snow on these mountains never melts, and they are always as white as sugar. One mighty mountain... (From : Wikisource.org.)

Chapter 6 : Bulka and the Wolf
At the time when I was about to leave the Caucasus, war was still in progress, and it was hazardous traveling by night without an escort. I was anxious to start as early as possible in the morning, and therefore I did not go to bed at all. A friend of mine came to keep me company, and we spent the whole evening and night sitting in front of my khata, or hut, on the street of the stanitsa, or Cossack outpost. It was a misty, moonlight night, and so light that one could see to read, though the moon itself was invisible. At midnight we suddenly heard a little pig squealing in a yard on the other side of the street. One of us cried : "There 's a wolf throttling a young pig." I ran into my khata, seized my loaded musket, and hastened out into the street. All were standing at the gates of the yard where the young pig was squealing, and they shouted to me, " Here ! here ! " Milton came l... (From : Wikisource.org.)

Chapter 5 : The Turtle
One time I went out hunting with Milton. Just as we reached the forest he began to get a scent. He stretched out his tail, pricked up his ears, and began to sniff. I got my musket ready and started after him. I sup- posed that he was on the track of a partridge, or a pheas- ant, or a hare. But Milton did not turn off into the woods, but into a field. I followed him and looked ahead. Suddenly I caught sight of what he was after. In front of him a little turtle was making its way it was of the size of a hat. Its bald, dark gray head and long neck were thrust out like a pistil. The turtle was mov- ing along by the aid of its bare feet, and its back was wholly covered by its shell. As soon as it saw the dog, it drew in its legs and head and flattened itself down into the grass, so that only its shell was visible. Milton grabbed it and tried to bite it ; but he could not set his teeth through it, because the turtle has... (From : Wikisource.org.)

Chapter 4 : Milton and Bulka
I got a setter for pheasants. This dog's name was Milton. He was tall, thin, gray, with spots, and with long lips and ears, and very strong and intelligent. He and Bulka never quarreled. Never did dog dare to pick a quarrel with Bulka. All he had to do was once to show his teeth, and other dogs would put their tails between their legs and flee. One time I was going with Milton out after pheasants. Suddenly Bulka came bounding along to overtake me, after I had reached the woods. I tried to drive him back, but in vain. And it was a long way to go home for the sake of getting rid of him. I came to the conclusion that he would not interfere, and went on my way ; but as soon as Milton scented a pheasant in the grass and started on the trail, Bulka would dash ahead and begin to hunt about on all sides. He was anxious to get the pheasant before Milton. If he heard anything in the grass, he would leap and jump about&... (From : Wikisource.org.)

Bulka
I had a bulldog, and his name was Bulka. He was perfectly black, except for the paws of his fore legs, which were white. All bulldogs have the lower jaw longer than the upper, and the upper teeth set into the lower ; but in the case of Bulka the lower jaw was pushed so far forward that the finger could be inserted between the upper and lower teeth. Bulka had a broad face and big, black, brilliant eyes. And his teeth and white tusks were always uncovered. He was like a negro. Bulka had a gentle disposition and he would not bite ; but he was very powerful and tenacious. Whenever he took hold of anything, he set his teeth together and hung on like a rag, and it was impossible to make him let go ; he was like a pair of pincers. One time he was ... (From : Wikisource.org.)

Pheasants
In the Caucasus woodcock are called fazamii, or pheasants. They are so abundant that they are cheaper than domestic fowl. Pheasants are hunted with the kobuilka} with the podsada, or by means of the dog. This is the method of hunting with the kobuilka You take canvas and stretch it over a frame ; in the middle of the frame you put a joist, and make a hole in the canvas. This canvas-covered frame is called a kobuilka. With this kobuilka and a gun you go out into the forest just after sunrise. You carry the kobuilka in front of you, and through the hole you keep a lookout for pheasants. The pheasants in the early morning go out in search of food. Sometimes you come across a whole family ; sometimes the hen with the chicks ; sometimes the cock... (From : Wikisource.org.)

Bulka and the Wild Boar
One time in the Caucasus we went boar hunting, and Bulka ran to go with me. As soon as the boar-hounds got to work, Bulka dashed off in the direction of their music and disappeared in the woods. This was in the month of November ; at that time the wild boars and pigs are usually very fat. In the forests of the Caucasus, frequented by wild boars, grow all man- ner of fruits, wild grapes, cones, apples, pears, black- berries, acorns, and rose-apples. And when all these fruits get ripe, and the frost loosens them, the wild swine feed on them and fatten. At this time of the year the wild boar becomes so fat that he cannot run far when pursued by the dogs. When they have chased him for two hours, he strikes into a thicket and comes to bay there.... (From : Wikisource.org.)