The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-12-09

chorus OF the whole pack The next
minute, the dogs voices were mute a
second time, speaking at intervals in
a fierce growl that told us they were
at fault. Beyond an occasional bark,
we heard nothing Of the bloodhounds,
until we gained at least two miles
down the stream. We began to think
we had bailled them in earnest, when
Lincoln who had kept in the rear,
was seen to throw himself Hat upon
the grass. We all stopped, looking
at him with breathless anxiety. 1t
was but minute. Rising up, with Il
reckless air, lie struck his rifle fiercely
upon the ground, cxclaiming:
Swamp them honnAs, they're ar.
ter us agin!
BY one impulse, we all rushed back
to the creek, and scrambling ON the
rocks, plunged into the water, and
commenced wading down. A sudden
exclamation burst from Raoul in the
advance. We soon learned the case,
and to our dismay had struck
the water at n point where the etream
IcaaHoAedI On each side rose trown-
ing precipice, straight rs a wall
/ Between these, the black torrent rush
ed through channel only few feet
in width, so swiftly that, had we at
tempted to descend by swimming, we
would have been dashed ~ death
against the rocks below. To reach
the stream farther down, it would be
necessary to make a circuit OF miles;
and the hounds would be on our heels
before we could gain three hundred
yards. We looked at each other, and
ut Lincoln--all painting and pale.
u "Stumped at last!' cried the hun
ter, gritting his teeth with fury
"No,' | shouted, thought at that
moment striking me. Follow me
comrades. Wei fight the blood
hounds on the cliff"
| pointed upward. 4 yell from
Lincoln announced his approval.
"lIoorey ~ he cried, lcaping on the
bank That idee's Just like yer,
Cap. Hoorey! Now, boys, for the
bluff"
The next moment, we were strain
ing up the gorge that led to the prec.
ipice. At the next, we had reached
the highest point, where the cliff, by
bold projection, buttcd over the
stream. There was Il level platform
covered with tulted grass, aud upon
this we took our stand. We stood
for some moments, gathering breath,
aud nerving ourselves for the desper-
ate struggle.
l could not help looking over the
: precipicc. 1t was fearful sight
, Below. in verticle line, two hundred
feet down, the stream, rushing thro
the cannon, broke upon bed OF sharp
jagged rocks, and then glided on, in
, sccthing, snow-white foam. There
was no object between the eye and
, the water; no juttng ledgc--not ever
: n tree TO break the fall nothing bu
. the spiiy boulders below, and tn,
! foaming torrent that washed them
;, 1t was some minutes before our unnat
;, ural enemies made their appearance
y every howl sounded nearer and nearer
;, Our trail was warm, and we kneN
:, they were scenting it on II run. a
= length the bushes crNcklcd, and W
:, could sec their white breasts CLEAN
:, ing through the leaves. A few NOR
~ Springs, and the foremost bloodhoun
= oybeunded out upon the bank, an
~ throwing up his broad jaws, uttere
|, a hideous 'yowl.' He was mt fault q
:, to where we had entered the watci
- His comrades now dashed out OF til
y thickot, and joining in the chorus {
', disappointment, scattered among I'll
- stones. An old dog, scared an
cunning, kept along the bank unit
he had reached the top Of the canon
:, This WIS where we had made OF
!. crossing. Here the hound entere
4 the channel, and springlng from roc
: to rock, reached the point whore "
had dragged ourselves out of the W;
-, ter. A short yelp announced TO h
= comrades that lie had lifted the seen
and they all threw up their noses ~.
, came 9alloping down. There was
y swift current between two boullel
- Of basalt. We had leaped this. III
q old dog reached it, and stood strait
ing upon the spring, when Lincol
;, fired, and the hound, with one shol
"wough," dropped upon his head, an
was carried of like a flash"
- "Counts one less to pich over,
: said the hunter, hastily reloading hi
rifle.
70 Without appearing to notice tn
strange conduct of their leader, tn
n others crossed in a string, and striR
20 ing the warm trail, came yelling Il
i the pass. 1t was grassy slope
such as is often seen between two Il
=, bles of q clill,-and, as the dogs straiI
-, ed upward, we could see their whit
:, fangs and the red blood that had bal
y, ed them clotted along their jaws
% Another crack from Lincoln's rift
- !, and the foremost hound tumbled bac
p down the gorge.
,h "Two rubbed out" cried the hun
of ter, and at the same moment sa
,d him fling his rifle to the ground.
IL The hound kept the trail no longc
Their quarry was before them; the
a bowling ended, and they sprang upo
al us with the silence of the assassin =
D. The next moment we were mingle
I'd together-dogs and men-in the tea