Category : Stories

Sub Category : Adventure

They say people who ought to be ashamed of themselves, do___ that the consciousness of being well dressed imparts a blissfulness to the heart that religion is hard to bestow.
The old folk who taught me how to live always said if you feeling a bit low or have troubles on the horizon, then dress in good smart clothes and shoes it sure helps keep the good side out. At dawn and late afternoon and again later evenings I take the two terriers Trampus and Buddy out the fields for their time it's a commitment for their lifetimes and a pleasant way for a brisk walk enjoying two lovely  friends. My father was the man farmer's came from far and wide for his help to eradicate foxes who can cause untold harm when allowed to go unchecked. The Irish country people in Toar were very skilled hunters, trappers, and they knew every foxes lair for many, many miles, and the tales of these expeditions is of Legend this is Toar man at home in his patch or environment.
The Grizzlie Adams a niegbour who looked and acted like the Grizzle hence the name, and my father were two men who no fox ever out smarted, nor lived to tell the tale of killing all of poor awl Mrs O' Rielly's chickens, duck's, Turkeys, and Geese it is a horrendous sight to see, and fills the heart of the hunter with a determination you will never ever do this to a poor working person who spent all that year rearing and feeding them now nothing and to a very considerable loss to that family. I remember my late mother Maria such a hard working woman, coming into the kitchen devastated and crying, you see the woman is very soft within the heart no matter how hard the will they carry this weight for us men, as we have been bred in a slightly different way, it's called Toar steel what tough determined men and they knew how to come together and exactly when, I don't think I know the words to describe how an Irishman feels to see the mammy broken and crying and the sister's, this is not something you can put right for them then so the command came from my father to me and the other lad, with dad's finger in the air with a twirl of his finger and determine tone of voice come on ta fuck yous two, get the gun, the dogs the short handle spade, and six thin metal bars all tied round his back with twine, this was all this man needed with his shot gun and three well trained fox terrier's who lived for this moment this is what they were bred for, you think you know nature till you saw these men and dogs working if they had to stay till 4 or 5am there was no home till the culprit was found and shot.
After 32yrs digging the trenches in London dad dug earth like a little yalla JCB you need not have no one else dig they would only get in his way his generation and dad known as the Ironman of Toar, here's why.
It was dangerous and dangerous to the terriers also but they knew their stuff. The metal bars he could push in the earth and follow the track the underground burrow took, till he was over the spot that the terrier had the fox pinned, within moments that ground was stripped with the spade, dog & fox exposed bang, the fox is dead, the dogs safe and unharmed. Often up to 7 8 9 of us had some nights out doing this it could be quiet an adventure the fastest runner, ran the fields home every few hours for tae and soda bread, or curranny cake for the lads. Late one evening while exposing the fight between dog's and fox, one of our 11 month old puppy fox terrier who was kept away from the fight but walked past the pile of loose earth and slipped backwards down straight on top of this vicious dog foxes jaws.
The poor puppy shrieked and howled but could do nothing as it's sharp teeth locked into the puppy's thighs, I thought oh dear God we may loose him quick do something some one. What seven of us Toar nieghbours saw next we shall never forget it took an extraordinary amount of speed of thought and very powerful action, that puppy was his pride and joy he loved his dogs. His two big shovel hands went into the hole, he grabbed it with some force then we witnessed what took savage strength, to save the creature unessesary pain, and in about 3 or 4 seconds he broke the foxes neck I have never seen this since or before and not to be tried at home a fox will have your fingers and damage your hands
Dad threw the dead fox in the hole walking away mumbling to himself, bastard, hurt my dog you won't, nor you be killing no more chickens, good night Mr fox.