The Osceola times., 1884-04-19
BIosdhounds to Catch Conviets.
Houston Post

BIosdhounds to Catch Conriei..
HOusf0n Post
~Ye-, they are the famous blood
hounds-thst IL, az much blOodhOun1s
as you will find in Texas. They are
simply fox-hounds trained to hunt
men"
-Do you keep them shu, up all the
timer
~Yes, they would make it lively for
the boys if they got out"
How often do you have occasion to
use them during the year?
"Not more than two or three times.
Conyicts ~ill not leave when they know
good hounds are On hand to catch
them
Could you no, dispense with the
hounds and depend upon your guns?7
"No. indeed; you cannot hold convicts
with shOiguns. Il is the fear Of the
hounds which keeps them quiet. Deser-
ton is useless when reczpture is a moral
certainty, as is the case when good hounds
are employed"
@Do you have difficulty in properly
training your hounds?'
-0h, no; that Is about the only sport
there is. Here comes the puppies. We
will give them a run and LEI you see how
it is DONE
A trusty was sent down the lane and
over the fence, through large field on a
run for dear life. When he had accom-
plished about half mile. or half his
circuit, the puppies, three six monihs-old
HOUNDS. were put on his track, and they
started. nOsing the ground and yelping
as they ran. On they kept, over fences
and through stubbles and bitches, never
ceasing their noise. Sometimes they
would run over the trail where the
trlsty had made an abrupt turn, but
soon they would return 10 the sro, where
they lost the scent and cautiously feel
their way until certain they had made
the trail, when they would eff again.
The trusty was long distance runner.
but the soft ground made his impromtu
track heavy, and he Jagged az he ap-
preached the end OF his run, evidently
fatigued.
The dogs gained on him rapidly, and
were yelping close upon him. He was
ordered 70 run to a tree or fence and
get out Of their way, so that they would
have TO find him by the scent. He irst
tried TO climb high gate post, but the
dogs, with their noses TO the ground,
~ ~. L.
n take shelter in a wagon which was
standing in the yard, where he hid
himself in the bed just a. the dols came
10 the gate. They looked up the gate
post and smelled around a little. then
without delay followed the trail TO the
wagon aud discovered their prev lying
painting Ike a g-boat. | looked at the
perspiring convict, and my heart srnote
me for being the cause Of his race, but |
soon found out that it was great privi-
lege, enjoyed by but few, and giving the
puppies q race was considered by them
the very essence Of pleasure. Tie con-
vict took an old blanket in his hand
and alighted on the ground, where the
dogs fought him hercely, making vicious
springs for him. He repulsed them by
bufeting them with the blanket, jump !
away and thwarting them in any man.
ner without hurting them. Finally one
Of the dogs fastened his teeth in the
convict's coarsesspants, and, holding on
with unyielding tenacity, was swung
round and round with vigor until tired. |
The dogs were then taken by a guard, !
md the convict vent away, highly
pleased with his sport.
Il see you've got colored servant
dn, said man to another the other
lay. yes" was the reply. "You see
ny wife's sister has just lost her hus-
Dand, so, a. we had 10 get into mourn
ng, we DISCHARGED our white girl and
hired a colored one. She hannonizes
With the mourning. as it were"
Passen GERS sill drop boquets at Ash
abula bridge, as mementoes TO friends /
who went down into that dark and aw-
ul abyss on the night Of Dec. -, 1876. /