Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-09-04

drums, the woodcock bIeats, and the quail CHR
rups from every height or hoow-.in that, more
strange to tell, the noblcst game of trans-atan-
tic fowl, the gorious turkey-although, like an
gels visits, they be indeed but few and far be-
tWeen-yet spread their bronzed tails to the sun
and swell and gobble in their most secret wilds
| love those hills of Warwick-many glorl-
GUS day have passed in their green recesses ;
many wild tale have | heard of sylvan sport
and forest warfare, and many, too of patriot par
tlsanshlp in the old revolutionary days-the days
that tried mems souls-while sitting at my noon
tide meal by the secluded we.l-head, under the
canopy of some p1meval oak, with implements
of woodland sport, rifle or shot gun by my side,
and well-broke setter or stanch hound recumbent
at my feet. And one of these tales will now
venture to record, though it will sound but weak
and feeble from my lips, if compared to the rich,
racy, quaint and humorous thing it was, when
flowing from the nature gifted tongue Of our old
friend Tom Draw.
"Hear hear !" cried Frank, " the chap is ell
oquent~
1t was the middle of the winter 1932-which
was, as you will recollect, of most unusual Sc
verity-that had gone up to Tom Draws, with
a view merely to quail shooting, though had
taken up as usual my rife, hoping perhaps to
get chance shot at a deer. The very first night
arrived, the old bar-room was full of farmers,
talking all very eagerly about the ravages which
had been wrought among their Aocks by small
pack of wolves, five or six, as they said, in mum.
ber, headed by an old gaunt famished brute,
which had for many years been known through
the whole region, by the loss of one hind foot,
which had been cut off in a steel trap.
More than hundred sheep had been destroy
ed during the winter, and several calves beside;
and what had stirred especially the bile of the
good yeomen, was that, with more than custom
ary boldness, they had the previous night made
descent into the precincts of the village, and
carried off a fat wether of Tom Draws.
A slight fall of snow had taken place the
morning arrived, and, this suggesting to Toms
mind a possibility of hunting up the felons, o
party had gone out and tracked them to q small
swamp on the Bellyvale Mountain, wherein they
had undoubtedly made their headquarters. Ar.
rangements had been made on all sides-forty
or fifty stout and active men were mustered, vel
armed, though variously, with muskets, ducking
guns and riAes-some fifteen couple of strong
houndh, of every height and color, we're collect
ed-s4me twenty horses saddled and bridIed
ana :. zee as mdts b., weraA GuSy,lyitn pro.
visionS ammunition, SHquor and blankets, all
prepared for weeks bivouac. The plan pre-.
scribed was in the first place to surround the
swamp, as silently as possible, with all oul
forces, and then to force the pack out so as tc
face our volley. This, should the method be
successful, would finish the whole hunt at once
but should the three-legged savage succeed in
making his escape, we were to hunt him by re-
lays, bvouacking upon the ground wherever
night should find us, and taking up the chase
again upon the following morning, until contn
ual fatigue should wear out the fierce BRUTE
had two horses with me- and Tim Matlock so
made up my mind at once, got light one hors'
sleigh up in the village, rugged it with all m,
bear-skins, good store of whskoy, eatabes, ant
so forth, saddled the gray with my best Somer
set, holsters and surcingIe attached and madO
one of the party on the instant.
Before daylight we started, dozen mounte
men leading the way, with the intent to get quit
round the ridge, and cut off the retreat of thes
most willy beasts Of prey, before the coming {
the rear-guard should alarm them. The daw
was yet in its first gray dimness when we &c
into line along the little ridge which bounds thp
small dense brake on the northeastern side-uE
on the southern side the hill rose almost inaC
cessibly in a succession of short limestone ledG
es-westward the open woods, through which tn
hounds and footmen were approaching, slope
down in long easy fall into the deep seclude
basin, filled with the denscst and most thorn
coverts, and in the summer time waist deep
water, and almost inaccessible, though no
foored with q sheet of solid ice, firm as II
rocks around it-due northward was an ope
field, dividing the woIf-dDge from the mounta
road by which we always travel.
Our plot had been well laid, and thus far he
succeeded. |, with eleven horsemen, drawn |
within easy pistol shot one Of the other, h0
} taken our ground in perfect silence and, as v
readily discovered, by the untrodden surface
, the snow, our enemies were as yet undsturbe
My station was the extreme left of our line,
: as we faced westward, close to the first ridge
of the southern hill; and there sat in mute e.
pectancy, my holsters thrown wide open, n
Kuchenreuters loaded and cooked, and my goC
ounce-bal rife lying prepared within the holC
Of my arm.
: Within short half hour saw the secol
r party, captained by our friend Garry, coming
f one by one, and forming silently and prompt
f upon the hi-sde-and directly after heard d
| crash and shout of our beaters, as they plung
I into the thicket at its westward end. So far
Cuulu pViSOiNO, oll huu SoHO WOll' 1 W. oluS
: my own eyes told me, were surrounded, and Il
continuous line in which the shouts ran all alol
: the farther end, would nave assured me, if 0
r surance had been needfnl, for Tom himself col
r manded in that quarter, that all was perfect
= that side. A Jerseyman, hunter Of no sm
4 repute, had been detached with fourth band
' guard the open fields upon the north; due tit
Q had been allotted to him, and, as we judged,
was upon his ground. Scarce had the first y
r echoed through the forest before the pattering
3 many feet might be heard, mingled with Il
: rustllng of the matted boughs throughout t
e covert-and as the beaters came on, who
2 host of rabbits, with no less than seven fox
e two of them gray, came scSmpering through 0