The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-03-22


bert's and lodge till morning. Tom
has hearty welcome and plenty of
sausage for all hunters
A beautiful morning awaited us.
A clear sky, genial sun, cool brac-
ing still air, anda splendid white
frost, all betokened good morn
ing's sport So, having dispatched
an carly breakfast, - which divers
and sundry yards # friend Toms
sausages wero malr to disappear,
we mount our hors, and make for
the same swamps, about one mile
distant, whore we confidently expect
to ''strike" the cat which had esoap-
ed the night before. Upon our
arrival we find that the dogs, who
had already anticipated the move,
mont, are in the canes and giving
an occasional dull note, which told
that the cat had been there some
hours before, but that we might
expect some hard work and close
tracking before we would got him
up. But, patient reader, don't sup
pose that was disheartened, for in
that pack are six dogs that can beat
anybody's on cold trUil, and I
know if 1 could succeed in
finding where the trail led of, that
that cat was bourd to run for its
life. "Be patient, therefore, gentle
men, and don't hurry the dogs" for
the cat has fed around md around
in the cane~brake, and they must
needs follow leisurely or we may
over.hunt the spot where he left"
In this way half an hour is cons
sumed, little progress being made,
as the trailing is all upon an acre or
two of swamp, but directly the
thunder tones of old Rouse are
heard in broom-sedge field near
by, aud before tho echo Of his
voice had died away, every dog is
seen making to the sound, for they
knew that he, aa was his custom,
when u trail could not be made of,
had been "circling" on the outside
and had now found the track upon
which the cat had departed. Slow.
ly, but steadily, tho trail is followed
through the sedge field and into
q wood along fences where the cat
had hunted for rats and birds the
night before, then across another
sedge field and into some thickets at
tho head of branch which flows
into the creek.
"Look at Butler" said P. r. -
"What ails him 2" BY novice the
question was pertinent, for Butler
was leaping above the grass and
weeds looking around whilst in the
air, and behaving much like
crazy dog. At u glance I took
in the situation the cat is in
that small thicket and Butler know g
that he must soon break cover, and
is leaping up to geta sight rnce if
possible. There he goes, and away
goes every dog close behind, and in
full Wow. Shake and Butler side by
side, but soon the long stride and
strong back Of Butler begins to tel,
and after that day even p. r. never
doubted which Of the two was the
feeter, for he continued to widen
| the gap between Shake and himself,
and was we'll in advance of hunters
and dogs, and within ten feet Of the
cat as it bounded into the cane
brake where we had struck the trail
in the morning.
Here the lodging and doubling
peculiar to the wild cat was resorted
to-, but it did not avail. for the sight
race had 80 toap' e'ely blown it, til, t
but twenty-sevcn minutes by tho
watch were necessary to land Butler
upon it's back, when the scene Of
the evening before was re enacted.
"And now, gentlemen" said /,
boastingly, "two foxes and two cats
in less than days hunt we must
have another before twelve o'clock"
call right" said P. r.. Il see moth
ing to prevent old Butler from
catching all between here and the
river" The cat having been tied
behind the saddle of one of the
party, md O. few exulting blasts
upon our horns having been sound
ed, we proceeded further down the
creek where wo stopped to start
more cats. But I fear 7 may be-
come tedious and will bring this
article to close. by stating that
before we had proceeded half mile
down the creek old Rouse jumped
another fox which was tailed after u
splendid run of an hour, after which,
the morning being we'll spent, we re-
turned to Tom Rembert's and took