Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-03-09
: ,,a.TIme Pox-Hunt in Kentucky.

An OIusIlWe foAA
Tsg remarkable exploits Of the New
York Fox hunting Club, details OF which
have been widely published, naturally
hiring ND the "reminiscences OF American
fox-hunting in other fields than New Jer-
sey and Staten Island. There was a meet
in Kentucky once which wasn't Dan, and
the account here given comes from one OF
the hunters. He isn't so enthusiastic an
aduirer of field sports as he was al the
time the meet took place, but his reracity
i az unauestioned as ever. III Is mol
worth while TO give the name OF The town
which furnished the cavaliers, but the
history of the affair from the starting Is as
follows: The club, composed OF gentle
men whose ancestors were very oiue.
blooded indeed, WAS provided Win ali
the necessary accoutrements oil high-
toned fox-hunt. The coats were resplen-
dent and the horses thoroughbred, while
the hounds had keen noses and voices
as deep as well. the hunters and
horses and dogs were out early In
the morning and at a cover where fox
warranted 20 run with the utmost grace
and CELEBRITY was certain TO be found. Inc
dogs were sent in and the hunters waited
ON the outside They didn't wait long.
One old hound, the veteran OF the pack,
gave voice in the most approved style,
lust as the veteran hound Of dukes
back does in an English novel, and the
rest OF the dogs piped in like country
choir after the deacon with tuning-fork.
One Of the cavaliers thought he heard
rustic in the bushes near him, TOOK u 10
be the fox, and gave shrieking view
halloo. and the next minute the dogs
were all yelling on the trail. The hunt
ers dug the spurs into their horses and
started and there was an awful race Tor
about gee ;ysrrtt..s &c s:.:.he. HISS OF
brush, where the hounds again disap..
peared. The hunters couldn't get In, and
paused again on the edge OF the copse, but
the dogs scooted about in the underbrush
and lust woke the echoes until 1t seemed
unlike the echoes could ever sleep again
untroubled by a nightmare. somehow
II @ fox couldn't get out OF that bit OF I'm
derbrush: he seemed 10 be lodging about
near tue centre, but he was invisible To
all save the dogs, and they didn't seem
able TO catch him. They'd sweep about
In concentric circles and lit UP their
voices and whoop, but they couldn't dis
lodge the thief OF the barnyard from the
bushes. The men, sitting upon their
horses outside, could determine almost to
certainty just where the fox was. lie
appeared to be under particular bush,
and some one suggested that he had ND
den in "A hole, but this couldn't be from
the excited manner of the dogs. The
veteran of the pack, already alluded to,
was especially exercised in mind. His
voice went up and down the scale worse
than any prima donna's, and from that
one bush he never wandered more than
thirty feet. Finally, the man in charge
of the pack concluded TO encourage the
old veteran little, and shouted To him
with "Seize 'em, good dog! Sic 'em,
old fellow" The old dog was braced up
by this announcement, and the next min
ute his veil was heard as he dashed under
the dangerous bush. There was heard
the sound OF a struggle for moment or
two, the other dogs rallied about the vet
eran. and then there was a short silence.
Then the old dog dashed out of the brush
on the other side with something like a
howl, the rest Of the pack went yelling a:
his heels, and away went the hunters IN
pursuit. The fox wasn't visible--he had
evidently got away from the dogs and
secured good start--but the hounds ran
| all In bunch most beautifully. The
chase led toward town, too, a capital thing
! for the hunters. Away they went, and
| hard work it was for the horses. That
! old dog Mt the head ran as he had never
been known to run before. 1t was appar-
I ent that he must have the fox in sight,
though the hunters failed to discern the
animal. He took leaps that scorned OBJ.
stacles, and at about every third jump he'd
| emit yelp that had as much feeling in II
as fiye.act drama. Ii was all the hunters
could do 10 keep the hounds in sight, but
| they managed 10 accomplish the thing
| Still the chase led toward the town, and
| finally 1t led directly into town. The
| brave cavaliers on horseback were de.
| lighted; they would have an opportunity
| 10 display their bold equcstrianship to the
Indies and everybody else. Down the
| principal street went that yelling old vet.
eran hound and after him came the rest
Of the dogs and the cavalcade Strangely
enough the fox wasn't visible, even down
| the long vista of the street. Still tho
| procession whirled on and all the town
came out TO see. The air was full OF
shouts and waving handkerchiefs, when
| suddenly the head of the chase turned al
| right angles, and the next minute the
head OF the chase, consisting G:
| the old hound, was safely ensconced
| in its kennel The hunt, termi
| mated at once. fhey hadn't been CHI asing
| anything and the whole affair was u hu.
initiating mystery to the huntsmen. The
erratic old dog was dragged from his lair
and then the mystery vanished. lie
smelled awful bad "All the perfumes
of Arabia would not sweeten that little
hand" Of the fellow who pulled him out
The other dogs smelled badly, too! II
was painfully evident what kind OF an
animal the dogs had been urged on to at.
tack In the. underbrush, and perfectly APP
parent why the old dog who took the lead
In the encounter had subsequently wanted
to get home as soon as possible. IL was a
disconraging fox-hunt. A farmers boy
who came into town next day reported
that the dogs had really killed the skunk,
but none of the hunters ever claimed the
brush. st. Louis Republican.