Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-10-29
MI $ c L. l. l. n Y.
A NEGRO HUNT.


naughty dark.eyci Senoritas, wealthy Cabal-
cro., and poor negro slaves.
In the northern part OF the Island arc the
plantations Of Don Gomez 10 Mier. H.
was a native of Cula, who having there
made large fortune in the slave trade, sct.
tied down in the moe, beautiful part Of Por-
to Rico only few years ago. Ilo bought
vast tract, u sugar aud TOBACCO fields, and
lived 10 great magndcsnce. Though be
possessed round sum Of at least eight Or
nine hundred slaves great was bis rage when
an oycrslcr reported 10 him ono morning
that tall negro, whom DO had imported
from Cuba had escaped "a tao night. lli'
rage was no, a, al mi,isilal when be was
in.ormei tow minutes alIsrward that the
wife ol tho run aw y was missing TO. The
negro was worth moro than two thousand
pastors, fnr IL vjtll have been iilicul, to
all ia with a finer ~ more powerful man
from the shores OF thc RIVER Senegal down
ll ,Ac coast Of South Guinea. and his vic
was young and vigorous, therefore Don
Gomez had rtlsln lor ycGA,lon, and fur hi'
determination To give chase Immediately.
Tho ncishbor' were invited la due form ,0
.hars the sport. Now. as sport ike thi.
D. even m.r' .lc,tus 'h.u COX hunt, the
guest. wrrr Mt slow 10 making their ap.
rctrlur., and aliar thc lip'' of few hours
q dozen of t,sm o.! ~ richly mounted on
tbrir splendid An lA,usian couuer,. There
8. o., need Tor in.,an, hurry in these cases
,hr nos. ol the blood hounds are surc not
tD lII.s IN, scent ol the track bcr,rc ihc
sa,,lns in or the nigLt.dcw the huntsmen
at down therefore, O. breakfast, aud made
good cheer in tho hospi,ahlo villa Of their
host, who's, table va. In cNyclcn, raputc.
AGgr breakfast however, they pat On 'hcir
large .ol,hrrJs. aul, mounting ,heir ih1.
rough hrci, declared ,hsms.i,y. quite r.a.
dy fls th,,r.- Tho G,s, vere taken ou,
AMI ,hc rr ...uun, vas % brgIn iu earnest.
Toe runaway slave him.c!i had taken the
car, not G, lga,, .nythins behind him. \
wooden cup, Ia which he used to receive hi'
raulus. and from which bee ate and drank
wa, 90 charge OF tbo 1,er.rrr, and hat va'
all thAt ..alI b, mad ,rr,,cl0lr iar the oc.
casion. But ,h5 wrls laI hidden some Old
linen, rather car,,.,Iy, aul Ihu,e tho oy,s-
,sgr found. Drink wa. given O. the d's'
In the wooden bowl and ,hc linen Was Ilt
,o their uJ,es. There were only tWo Of
them but two ar enough % scl,l' a nesr,
c.,n OF ,hc sii, OF ,h1 escaped Juano. Ter.
rihlc animals they are lars', s,rlus.built,
ycllov.halrcd, dpublc.nof,l. thoroughbred
ol that genuine Spanish race trained M
cl-,Guliy to thc rIrpIs,-.bl,pl'hounls
Np ncsl whatever lor urging ;htm on, they
N,ra animated ami impatient enough alra.
dy. AMI directly ,hey h.l ct a scent, with
eager yclp, they bounded alous, with their
noses clos, TO the ground, and their tail.
upright in ,hc air.
Thy were followed by the brisk sancr'
II the stately clhallcr,', who began alrcA.
ny To testify r1citimcnt, for this Gr', par,
Of the cha., i. considered by some amateurs
% h. by no means the least interesting.
The dog. maze ,,raish, for the negro hu's
and the poor blacks, male and female, whom
they chanccI to most. took hasty care to
g, out Of the way. \ few minute. after.
ward thcy were seen darting towards the
southern corner Of fence which enclosed
the slave cliias then they turned round
again. and went back TO the huts, their
iAIl, tanning tho air all the time, and their
delicate and dreadful noses almost rubbing
on the ground.
One might read in the eyes of those proud
and naughty cahallrro' that the decisive
moment WI. near az hand Asayasc yelp-
ing of the dog. gave notice tha, it had arri-
vcd indeed. The greedy animals turned
again and making once more mr the fence
with fall speed, they broke tiroush it with
on, hesitation.
Ito the chase, caballcros :" Tboy gave
a hearty cheer. set spurs to their horses,
cleared III, fence TIE hunt was up
Poor Juano' Lo,t,--and by the faul, OF
his vile, too!
The dogs pursued a straight line in a
souihcrIy direction They did not run fast
from the moment they had surely come on
the right track. tho borsemen being ena.
blel to follow at an easy canter. but they
went along their route with certainty
that was appalling 20 behold never stop
ping, never offering the slightest sign Of
hesitation, and up or down dale, over mea-
dows or over fields, through groves, never
not for one single monent--raisiug their
noses more tlAn half an inch above the level
ol the ground.
II was warm work altogether, the heat Of
Tho tropical sun being intense; but when
hour alter hour passed, and still the dogs
went on neither hurrying nor slackcning
their speed, but always in the same steady
and determined manner, they seemed IN put
new llie into our hot aud jaded caballeros.
They would sooner have thought Of parting
with their souls than Of abandoning the
chase.
Porto Rico, to the south, 4. very noun
tainous. and the nearer we draw to the sea-
coas,. the wilder the more picturesque is the
surrounding country. Rocky wales, with
gaping precipiccs OF unfa,houablc depth,
steep and lofty crags with enormous peaks