The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-05-24
on the Trail.
serena, Rutland and Dayton Test their Dog
nesh.-- All Join IN u Zig Hunt.

IT'S of some hunters I'm going to write,
Who love to hunt Reynard by day or by night;
They ride noble horses just of from the plow,
And the way that they trail it'll tell you Just
how. WI -Natigo"
For some time past there has been sprinsng
up II kind of "cross- grain feeling between the
sporting fraternties of Serena, Rutland, Dayton
and other townships as to the merits OF their re-
spcctivc hounds. The sports of Serena had been
blowing "high old breeze" and were rather
loud in the praises of their favorcs, us much as
to say, "Sercna against the world"' This KIND
of "rackct" didn't take with the boys OF Rut-
land, who claim their dogs can beat anything
Serena ever produced in the way OF doS'flesh.
Some of the other towns boast the superiority
over either Serena or Rutland or anywhere else;
and thus matters went on in this way until the
"sccnt" grew so I" hot that it was decided to set
Tie the whole business by one grand hunt in which
all the fast dogs Of the townships should par,i
cipatc.
In addition to the tcctncss OF the dogs, their
close running was a matter of particular note.
Whether they ever performed the fcats claimed
for them, is rot for me to say. was simply ga
chicl amanS 'cm taking notes. and print but
but what saw and heard. a hunter by the
name of Kcibcr whose truth and ycracity never
was doubted, declares that several times, on
the Nermillion bottoms our dogs ran 50 close we
could cover them with blankct"' which lonsid.
cring the size Of blankets nova days, was get
ting them rather close together. This racket
struck hard on Serena, but they were bound to
beat il or bust" The hour for the trial came.
II was bright moonlight night, ON the banks Of
tlNp Inn, i..rg
(afooU were chasing an old red, "--on which
occasion his "fayoritc five" ran SO close hc was
sure he could cover the pack with green
back! This was about election time, when to the
entire nation Of Serena" a grccnback looked
heap bigger than any blanket. However, the
announcement of the feat was the signal for
celebration. The clty's cannon was fired as ii is
on all great occasions, and the red ribbon was
laid away for time, water being "too thin" for
their purpose and only fit for drowning dogs
and floating canal boats! Every body was in
glorious state Of excitement and it is hard to tell
ucd, had not VIII Miligan-thc poet hunter
come out SO timely with his beautiful description
of "rhc Last Deer Hunt on the Vcrmillion," in
which he positively assures us that ION that hunt
his hounds ran remarkably close, and, just AS
easy as rolling of n log, he could place the whole
pack under ''ihc dollar of our daddles" That
settled it, and it was generally conceded that for
a dog story-Will Miligan was the Boss" After
this Serena assumed her usual graveyard APP
pcarancc. George Woodford was invited to dc
liver his new temperance lecture and once more
to administer the rcd ribbon, while the cannon
was housed until some future grcatcvcnt aroused
the natives from their lcthargy.
Excitement there was not and things were
getting terribly monotono1s around Serena
There was nothing for the Boys to talk about
when they put in an appearance at Poolcr's, and
for want of something better had whitfield away
the counters nackcral kegs and all such articles,
and were about commencing on the post Once
boxes when the question was asked If anyone
had seen the new dog that Graves brought from
Ohio some had ard more had not, but it was
limited nat he was imported for the purpose Of
knocking the wind" out of all the /" crack
dogs " Of the county, and that 81 Deboldt, in
whose care he had been placed, was only waiting
for some good chance to run him. Out Of this
grew the excitement of the present race and
nothing but fast dogs was talked OF Tor several
weeks. 1t was finally decided to have a hunt, but
on whose grounds formed matter of much dis
cussion, as every dog runs best on his own path,
and the object of all was to run their dogs on
known ground At last, after many protract
ed meetings, il was agreed that the township Of
Rutland would be the hunting ground, and on
the night Of the 18th the clans" were to assem-
bic in full force.
Scarcely had the day Of the 18th closed and the
twilight faded into darkness ere buglc notes
echoed and rc.cchoed in all directions, and the
barking and yclping of dogs were heard every
NUtlc vi iHt W ScTtHu NHHC nWtetl@
on the night air were waited similar sounds from
across the river in Rutland. II was evident that
very unusual occurrence was about TO transpire.
The wind was gently fresh; the sky starless, but
the night promised to afford the best "scenting"
weather At the meeting place when all had as.
scmblcd the sccue presented quite picture At
least thirtytvc or more hounds were on the
ground and from twenty to twenty five hunters,
mounted on as gallant stccds as ever pulled Il
plow
Among the many were 81 Dcboldt, John Parr,
viii Hayes, John Gibson and Others from Rut- !
land township. Frank Brundugc, Sam Mllikin
and two sous from near Marseillcs, Hank Parr,
Ed. Temple, VIII and Joe Temple, Johnny Hawks,
Poolcr and host Of others from Serena, as well
as some from Dayton Wcdron and other places.
For some considerable time both hunters and
hounds " skirnshcd" along the river bank and
through the woods without starting anything cx.
Ccpt one of those animals whose high niyoring
propcnstiCs are SO well known to fame but i'll
appreciated. As this was not the kind Of game
desired the hunters concluded To change their
base and try places less odorous. Crossing the
bridge at Wcdron, they followed the road for
some distance and then turned southwark into n
piece of wood that skirts the river and there
waited but Il few minutes before game was started
D." They're onto IL, said " Hank, rs score or
more dogs made night vocal with their yclping.
Nj was excitement, and the horns, which but a
few minutes before rang out clear and loud to
keep the hounds together now were still; and
the heavenly music " us the hunters term the
barking OF the hounds, was all that disturbed the
solemn stiffness of night The yclping and bark
ing OF score or more Of hounds, running at
night, has a peculiar charm which cannot be uu-
dcrstOod except by those who have enjoyed its
enchanting effect IL resembles more the way.
ing strains Of music or the vibrating notes Of
some distant echo borne upon the winds, than
anything else that can compare il TO- Every
moment increased the interest of the chase and
il was noticeable that both hunters and hounds
had entered into the spirit Of the contest. The
fox, which turned out 10 be an "Old Red" dou-
blcd and changed his course several times, caus-
ing some of the dogs to take the back trail
which would lead those unaccustomcd To the
sport TO imagine a dozen foxes on the run.
say, Hank, that fellow shows good bottom
TO keep ont of the way Of all the dogs 81 long"
says the venerable old Ed Temple 10 the "gcner-
alp Of Serena.
al think" says 81 Dcboldt, 'Windcr' must
be close on To him; he has lead in the chase from
the start"
" He Is ton fast fur any ,op in This rncc