The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-03-22
aroused by the blood of the fox and
would soon be off again.

aroused by the blood of the fox, and
would soon be off again.
But we had not gone far before
there was another "burst," and
away went another fox. Thirty
minutes sufiiced for him, and as he
was caught near the cat ground, we
hurried the dogs into the cane.
brake and awaited the result.
"How do you know that you can
strike a cat9" doubtingly, asked
the philosophical Colonel. For he
knew that my dogs had never smelt
one.
"Ill guarantee that I can mako
them run anything from q wood,
mouse to an elephant, WIS my
rather curt reply. Nor were we
long in doubt, for Butler, a large
headed, deep-chested, Aeet-footed
hound, with courage like bull dog,
and note like bugle, was already
in full cry in the oanes in front of
us, and one by one tho rest of the
pack were rallying to his assistance,
and soon swelled the struggling cry
to that deep, heavy roar which tells
the hunter that his dogs are all
packed, and that tho game is cup"
"Who dares say that is not q
cat?"
"I'll wager a. tan yard to a shoe
string that it is"
And there we're no takers, for NIL
we're hunters, and had detected
greater icrceness in the tones of
the dogs, which Indicated that no
ordinary game was at hand.
The canes pop and the water
splashes rs the maddened dogs tear
through the thickets and plunge
across the creek in eager pursuit.
"Sweet music Of heaven, ain it a
pity that tho Governor ain't here p
calculated P. r., an embryo hunter
from the neighborhood, who had
joined us with Streak and Shake
and Granger, two black and tans
and blue speckled, who had tasted
cat before, and who were crowding
in most beautifully; Shake con-
testing manfully but uselessly,
with Butler for the first place"
Il tell you, Major" continued
P. r., pale With interse excitement,
"old Shake is pushing Butler mighty
close"
Eyes, and old Butler is pushing
that cat mighty close" was my
prompt rejoinder, for old Shake was
keeping closer to Butler than any
othor dog had ever done before,
and was anxious to divert atten-
ton, lest he might spoil Butler's
reputation by being seen ahead.
"There he comes, boys, and a
whopper he is, too," exclaimed the
Parson, who had been too much
engaged in watching the chase and
in yelling to the dogs, to take part
in tho conversation, and turning
toward him, we beheld a large
''brindled cat" bile out of the canes
Immediately in front of his horse,
and with tremendous bounds make
into another cane-brake few hun
dred yards below.
With breathless expectation We
wait to see the dogs "bre tx c ,ver"
also, but instead, they suddenly
wheel about, and dash off up the
creek in h,t pursuit Ct ano;her
cat, which proved to be the same
one which they had chased all the
time, for but q minute now olapses
before the music shifts to another
key, and yells and howls take tho
place of bugles and flutes. "They
have him, by" excitedly yells p.
r. "Help the dogs exclai us the
Major himself, and there is stimuli
taneous sliding from our saddles.
and q general rush. through the
canes in the direction of the fight.
The wiry Parson leads the run, but
although a good Baptist, he pauses
upon the brink of a small lake, and
the Major. who, by the by. weighs
only 225 pounds, and has moro dogs
at stake, bulegs in, and arrives first
at the seat of war. Iquickly dis
cover. however, that no assistance is
needed, for Butler has anchored his
huge fangs directly in the cats
heart, and ribs, and with each tight.
ening grip of his ponderous jaws,
l hear the crushing of bones, and
note the dying gasps of the cat,
whilst eighteen other are strug dogs
Cling for q placein the picture, and
have him literally covered from nose
to tail. The fight is soon ended, and a
critieal examination Of the dogs