The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-10-09
A WILD ADVENTURE.
BY CAPTAIN MAYNH RED.

/, an Englishman, loved n quadroon. Au-
rore was beautiful. We met in Louisiana:
there she liyed-in solitude. They said
there was negro blood in her veins; but to
my Saxon eyes, she appeared Us lovely and
as fair as any Caucassean ever beheld.-
Ny love was returned -ardently-passion-
ately. l offered to wed her, but her guar
dian, named Gayarre, loved her, too, and
refused to sanction my suit, Then we ran
away togther-ran into the woods, where,
VIC met an old negro hunter the 'Bam-
bara,' who offered us his friendly guidance.
He had gone away, promising to meet
US with boat on the borders Of a lake.
We had reached the lake, and had given
the signal---a shrill whistle. It was not an
swered. waited in dread
The black hunter might be asleep! Far
more probable, because night was his day,
and day his night. At night he was abroad
roaming and busy; by day he was at home
and slept. s@E
Oh heavens! If he should be asleep, and
not have heard the signal!
Such was the terribly fancy that rushed
across my brain. felt suddenly impelled
to repeat the signal-thoush h / thought at
the time, If my conjecture were correct,
there was but little hope he would hear me.
A negro sleeps like torpid bear. The re-
port of gun or railway whistle alone
could awaken one. There was no chance
for punv pipe like mine, the more espe-
cially as there was screaming Of birds and
insects and wild beasts. .
Even if he should hear it, he would hard
" be able to distinguish the whistle from
Mcrciful heavens!'
Twas speaking to my companion when
this exclamation interrupted me. 1t came
from my own lips, but with involuntary ut
tcrance. 1t was called forth by a sound
import Of dread, a sound that could hear
above the shrill screaming of the birds, and,
hearing, could interpret. twas the trum-
pet like baying of a hound.
stood bent and istcnng-l heard it
again. There was no mistaking that note.
had the ears of the hunter. l knew the
music well. Oh, how unlike to music, then!
1t fell upon my ears ike a cry Of vengeance
like knell of death!
thought no longer Of repeating the sig
nal; even if heard, 1t would be too late.
flung the reed whistle away, as useless toy.
| drew Aurore along fallen tree, passing
her behind me; and raising myself erect,
stood fronting the land. Again the howl
broke Quits loud echoes rolling through
the woods-this time so near that every mo-
mcnt expected to see the animal that had
utt, red it.
had not long to wait. Ahundred yards
off was a ca,e brake. | could perceive a
notion among the tall reeds. Their tops
swayed to and fro, and their hollow culms
ratified against each other, as they were
borne downward. Some living thing was
passing through their midst. The motion
reached their verge, the last canes gave way;
and now saw what had looked for-the
spotted body of hound. With spring,
| the animal came forth, paused for anpment
in the open ground, and then utteri1 u pro-
longed howl, took up the scent, and gallop-
ed forward.
Close upon his heels came a second; the
waving cane closed behind them, and both
ran forward in the direction Of the log. As
there was no longer any underwoods, | had
Il full view of their bodies. Gloomy as the
place was, could see them with sufficient
istinctness to note their kind, huge, gaunt,
deer hounds, black and tan. No ordinary
hound would run upon human track as
they were running upon ours. They were
blood hounds. Guyarre had resorted to
desperate measures to recover Aurore.
| The moment saw these dogs, | made
ready for the conflict. Their huge size,
th,ir broad heavy jaws, and feroeious looks
told what savage trutes they were; and
felt satisfied they would attack me as soon
rs they came up. With this belief drew
! forth my pistol, and laying hold of branch,
to steady me, stood waiting their ap-
prOach.
had not miscalculated. On reaching the
PROSTATE trunk upon which had taken my
| position, he scarcely made pause, but leap
! he ha1 dropped the scent, and now advanc-
ed with eyes glaring, evidently meditating to
spring upon me.
Nv position could not have been better,
had spent an hour in choosing it. From
the nature of the ground, my assailant could
neither dodge to the right or the left, but
was compelled to approach me IN line as
straight as an arrow. | had naught to do,
but hold my weapon firm and properly di-
rected. A novice with firearms could hard
ly miss such an object.
Ny nerves were strong with anger-a feel
ing of intense Indignation was burning in
my breast that rendered me as firm as steel.
was cool from very passion, at being thus
hunted, like wolf, and by a rival! wait
ed until the muzzle sf the hound almost met
that of my pistol, and then fired. The dog
tumbled from the log saw the other
close upon his heels. l aimed through the
smoke, and again pulled the trigger. The
good weapon did not fail me. Again the
report was followed by plunge.
The hounds were no longer upon the log.
They had fallen right and left into the black
water below-one dead; the other badly
wounded. The latter could not escape, as
one his legs had been struck by bullet, and
his efforts to swim were but the throes of
desperation. In few minutes hemust have
gone to the bottom: but it was not his fate
to die by drowning. 1t was predestined that
his bowling should be brought to a termi-
nation in far different manner.
| Naturalists have endeavored to explain
this in a different way. They say-and such
is the fact-that the howling of adog bears
resemblance to the voice of young alliga-
tor, and that the old one, attracted towards
the spot where it is heard-thc mother to
protect, and The male parent to devour it.
This is disputed point in natural history
but there can be no dispute that the alliga-
~'' fASs "PS" thS uoS ~ hH oPPoa0
tunity offers. Selling the canine victim in
his terrible jaws, and carryingit of to his
aqueous retreat. This he does with such an
air of earnest avidity as to leave no doubt
but that he estecms the dog a hvorite NOR
sci. .rs-r~- -.-.
was not surprised, then, to see half-a-
dozen of these gigantic reptiles emerging
from amid the dark tree tops, and hastily
swimming towards the wounded hound
The continued howling Of the latter guided
them; and in few seconds they had sur
rounded the spot where he struggled, and
were dashng forward, upon their victim.
A shoal Of sharks could not have finished
them more expeditiousls. A blow from the
tail of one silenced his howlins--three OF
four pairs Of gaunt jaws closed upon him at
the same time-a short scuflle cnsued- then
the long, bony heads separated, and the
huge reptiles were seen swimming off again,
each with morsel in hi. teeth. A few
bubbles and biotches of red froth mottling
the inky surface, We're ali that remained
where the hound had lately been plunging.
Almost similar scene occurred on the
| CT