The heat ended with
Both dogs unseen
The senior judge said,
“Time’s up, you got twenty minutes”
The scouts on the flanks
Cantered ahead
To search for their dogs
Pointed they hoped
The handlers did too
The judges dismounted
Found trees
Took leaks and remounted
Gallery milled, speculated
Who would win if
These two or one were found in time
Or if not, would it matter?
Meanwhile in front out of site
Scouts conferred with the handlers on
Where to search with a found but moving dog
In the short time remaining
All four knew the KCLs
They thought but
None were dependable
Birds here were ghosts seldom heard much less seen
Mose and Booty
Black wizards of the game
Loved life and their dogs
Took events as they came
Made the best of the fates
Expected life to be hard
Counted on no luck
But took any drifted their way
So when Booty
Came upon Mose’s dog
Pointing proud and sure
He yelled “Point” loud and clear and rode on
A judge came with dog’s handler
Who flushed and flushed
Tapped for relocation unsuccessful
Then still with time Mose called point for Booty’s dog
Whose handler plus a judge
Came on that scene
Same result
The win went to another
When the dust settled
And all drove away
The handlers were both sure
The scouts had each flushed the birds pointed by the other team’s dog
But Booty and Mose knew
That was not so
For black brothers did not betray one another