Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-03-30


said, in a clear, shrill voice, "all ready,
1t that the negroes unloosed the grip |
On the black stallion, Juba brought one
long, loud blast on his trumpet, and
the horse for a moment, stood as If
poised in midair, and then, WITH ire
mendous plunge, they started. Juba |
led the way, followed next by Mr.. II. |
and the bay stallion, then MIR. @. last, |
on the impetuous and hard-mouthed |
black stud. The weather being cold
and dry, and the roads hard frozen, the
morning atmosphere smote the face as
with a shower of needles; and the clat
tering hoofs Cf those thoroughbreds
upon the hard and frozen ground In the
stiffness of the winter soon resounded
through those old Virginia hills, like
the roar of cavalry charge. MIR. Z.
being a man OF great muscular power,
made several efforts to stop the head
long career of his stalwart charger, but
the more he pulled, the faster he ran;
he holloed finally to MIR. r. to ''stop--
stop, that he could not stand it; but TO
all his entreaties Mr.. r. turned deaf
ear, and the only response he could get
would be the bugle blast OF Juba, far IN
the van, mounted on the mare Trife,
who flew through the air like an arrow.
Every time Juba blowed the trumpet,
the black stud ran faster and faster, IN
til the corpulent Georgian felt that AL
was lost. But on they sped, until near
ing the fiat lands of the Stanton river,
when the cry of hounds were heard
And to the left Mr., Crawford cast his
eyes, beheld an immense pack stream
ing around the hills towards the Chris
tmas riders. On came the hounds, and
on went the horsemen. Soon the Stan
ton river came in full view, which, for
the moment, promised great relief to
Mr.. Crawford, of Georgia. Consequent
ly he watched Juba and the mare, con-
siderably in the advance, as they near
ed the turbid and foaming river. But
as Juba and the mare struck the river
bank, to the great modification and
disgust of Mr.. Crawford, in they went;
then followed Mr.. Randolph on the
mettled bay stallion; and finally, Mr..
Crawford felt that all was hope was now
gone, and with a secret reservation to
make one more desperate effort to
check the wild career of his mighty
charger, he pulled with all the power
of giant against the bit; but 1t was
not the slightest consequence, for the
first plunge the black stud made he
was in swimming water.
By this time MIR, Randolph's full
pack of hounds had caught the party,
and were swimming and yelping as
though they were within fifty yards of
a wounded stag or red fox. The cur
rent of the river was rapid and the wa
ter intensely cold, and whilst swim
ming and drifting to the other bank,
the thought and hope struck MIR. Crsw-
ford. that when safely across, the ride
for the balance of the trip would be at
their leisure. Hence it was that Mr..
G. watched again, with no little anx-
iety, Juba and the mare, still nearing
the opposite bank, when to his horror
as the mare assembled the bank, Juba
again brought blast or two on his
trumpet, the mare switched the water
from her fiaxen tail, and on she went
MIR. Randolph second, and Mr.. Craw-
ford and the black stud third. The
honnds having an even start from the
south side of the river. now kept up
with the Christmas party, and in full
cry as though they were on the warm
est trail. Soon second pack Joined
the first pack, and so on, for every few
miles a new pack would join the chorus
and on they went. Finally, Juba and
the mare quit the road aud struck out
through the fields, followed by Mr. r.
and MIR. c., across gullles, bitches, over
fences, through briars, ponds, creeks
and everything that INSTRUCTED
straight liue. At last relief came, for
the party reached Col. Barksdale's
about one o'clock. Mr.. Crawford was
greatly exhausted, and his pants, hav-
ing slipped above his knees, his legs
were scratched by briars, bruised by
fence ratings and sapplings, and chat
ed no little by the stirrup feathers. -
The premises were thronged with some
halt dozen packs of hounds that had
joined the Christmas party on the route.
The distinguished guests were received
with much satisfaction and great con-
sideration. The old-fashioned Virginia
gentry were present In full force. The
first thing that greeted the visitors on
their entrance into the mansion, after
the usual SITUATIONS and introductions,
was an immense silver bowl full to
OVERLOOKING with hot apple teddy, yet
he was suffering greatly from the ter
rible morning ride; still, neither Mr..
Randolph or any of the party made any
ailusiOn to it. Dinner being ennounc-
ed, MIR. Crawford found much difficulty
in getting to the table, still there was
no ailusion made to the morning ride.
After being seated around the table for
at least five hours, and after having
eat and drank through truly Christ
mas course, and undergoing the ex-
elements of the rich food and viands,
discussions and speech-making, in adj
dition to his corporal suffering from
the ride, suddenly the distinguished
Georgian wished to be excused. He
informed Col. BaTksdale that he would
be glad TO retire. But little sleeping
was done, as the phantom OF the black
stud constantly aroused the great
Georgian, who awoke himself more
than once, by hallooing ''wo-wo, sirp'
and holding on to the bed post. About
eleven o'clock on the next day Mr.. II.
went to the room of his friend. and
said: Crawford, if you go to Georgia
next winter, call and see me; goodbye,
old fellow" No allusion was made to
the ride.
Senator Crawford never got away
from Colonel Barksdale's for about six
weeks. From Col. Barksdale's TO Mr..
Randolph's was forty-two miles. Such
was an old Virginia steepie chase, more
than fifty years ago.
The Bureau County, ILL.,, Republi-
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