The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-07-04
venture which happened to mo few days

venture which happened to mo . few days
since.
Who ever saw Bravo, without loving him.
His slow black eyes, his glossy ska, flecked
here and there with blue; his widespread
thighs. clsan shoulders, broad back, and low
dropping chest, bespoke him the true stag
hound; and none who ever saw his bounding
form, or heard his deep-toned bay, as the |
swift-footed stag few before hlm, would dis
pute bis title. List, gentle reader, and
will tell you an adventure, which will make
you love him all the more.
A bright frosty morning in November.
1888, tempted me to visit the forest hunting
grounds. On this occasion, was followed
by fne-looking hound, which had been
presented to me, few days previous, by a
fellow sportsman. was anxious to test his
qualities, and knowing that a mean dog will
often hunt well with good one, had tied
up the eager Bravo, and was attended by the
stranger dog alone. A brisk canter OF hall
an hour brought me to the wild forest hills.
Slackening the rein, | slowly wound my
way up brushy slope, some three hundred
yards in length. had ascended about half
way: when the hound began TO exhibit evil
dent signs of uneasiness; and, at the same
instant, stag sprung out from some under
brush near by, and rushed like whirlwind
up the slope. A word, and the hound was
crouching at my feet, and my trained Cher
okee, with ear erect, and flashing eye,
watched the course of the affrighted animal.
On the very summit of the ridge, full one
hundred and fifty yards distant, every limb
standing out in bold relief against the clear
blue sky, the stag paused, and looked proud
| ly down upon US. After moment of inde-
cision, raised my rifle, and sent the whiz-
zing lead upon its errantd. A single bound,
and the antlered monarch was hidden from
my view. Hastily running down ball, |
assembled the slope, and my blood ran lit
tie faster, as saw the SCOUTS of blood''
which stained the withered leaves where he
had stood. One moment more, and the ex-
cited hound was leaping breast high on his
trail, and the gallant Cherokee bore his rider
like lightning after them.
i Away-away for hours, did We thus
hasten on, without at once being at fault, OF
lchecking our headlong speed. The chase
had led us miles from the starting point, and
now appeared to be bearing up creek, or
: one side Of which arose a PERCEPTIONS hill
some two miles in length, which knew the
wounded animal would never ascend. Hal
mile farther on, another hill reared 1t:
! bleak and barren head, on the opposite side
of the rivulet. Once fairly in the gorge
there was no exit, save at the upper end o
, the ravinc. Here, then, | must intercep
! my game, which was able to do, by taking
! near cut over the ridge, that saved at leas
i mile.
81 Giving one parting shout to cheer my
] dog, Cherokee bore me headlong to the pass
r had scarcely arrived, when, black witt
t sweat, the stag came laboring up the gorge
, seemingly totally reckless of our presence
Again poured forth the "leaden messenger
, of death" as, meteor-like, he flashed by us
!, One bound, and the noble animal lay pros
I trate within fifty feet of where | stood
/. Leaping from my horse, and placing one
!; knee upon his shoulder, and a hand upor
his antlers, drew my hunting knife, bu
!, scarcely had its keen point touched his neck
: when, with sudden bound, he threw m,
= from his body, and my knife was hurled
g from my hand. In hunters parlance, hat
q "only creased him." i at once saw m,
danger; but 1t was too late. With one boun,
he was upon me, wounding and almost disa
bling me, with his sharp feet and horns.
seized him by his wide spread antlers, an
q sought to regain possession of my knife bu
in vain: each new struggle drew us far;he
from it. Cherokee, frightened at this unu
! sual scene, had madly fled to the top of III
: ridge, where he stood looking down upon III
. combat, trembling and quiverins in ever
! limb.
:. The ridge road l had taken, had placed Z
= far in advance of the hound, whose bay
! could not now hear. The struggles of tn
= furious animal had become dreadful, an
= levery moment could feel his sharp hoo
: cutting deep into my flesh; my grasp upo
:. his antIdfs was growing less and less firm
!, land yet relinquished not my hold. Th
= struggle had brought us near deep tacl
= :. washed by the heavy fall rains, and into th
!, endeavored to force my adversary; but m
= strength was unequal to the effort; when "
approached to the very brink, he leaped ov'
the drain; l relinquished my hold, and role
ID in, hoping thus to escape him. But he n
ne turned to the attack, and thsowing himse
~ upon me, inflicted numerous sewers cuts upe
~ my face and breast, before | could aga
r. seize him. Locking my arms around b
C antlers, drew his head close TO my brea:
land was thus, by great effort enabled
|, prevent his doing me any serious injury.-
n..A Al. 4L:- l.. -,