The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-01-18

A correspondent Of the Houston Tex
a,ol Post, who has been visiting the pris-
,n at Huntsville, in that state, writes
H6ont the bloodhounds used there ar
kollows;
"And these are the b~loodhounds /
hear so much about?" / remarked to my
conductor.
eyes, they are the famous blood
8honnds-that is, as much bloodhounds
los YOU will find in Texas. They are sim
NV f~oxhounds, trained to hunt men,"
tpo YOU keep them shut up all the
time?"
eyes; they would make il very lively
for the boys if they got out"
GLOW often do you have occasion to
4 nse them during the year?"
"Not more than two or three times.
4 Conyicts will not leave when they know
GOOD hounds are on hand TO catch them.'
Gould you not dispense with the
hounds and depend upon your guns?"
"No, indeed, you cannot hold c~onVicts
\ with shotguns. 1t is the fear of the
harnds which keeps them quiet. De-
4 oortion is useless when recapture is a
4 moral certainty, as is the case when
GOOD hounds are employed"
9"Oh, no; that is about the only sport
there IS. Here come the puppies. We
will give them a run and let you see how
\ Il is done"
A trusty was sent down the lane and
4 over the fence, through a large field, on
a run for dear life. When he had ac-
\ complished about half a mile, or hall his
\ circuit, the puppies, three 6.months- old
i hounds, were out on his track and /
i started, nosing the ground and yelping
4 as they ran. On they kept, over fences
4 and through stubbles and bitches, never
i reasing their noise. Sometimes they
would run overthe traitwhere the trusty
4 had made an abrupt turn, but soon they
4 would return 20 the spot where they
lost scent, and cautiously feel their way
until certain they had the trail, when
] they would off again. The trusty was q
i long distance runner, butthe soft ground
made his impromptu track heavy, and
\ he Jagged as he approached the end of
4 his run, evidently fatigued.
The dogs gained on him rapidly, and
4 we're yelping close upon him. He was
ordered to run to a tree or a fence and
get out of their way, SO that they should
have to find him by the scent. He first
tried to climb q high gate post, but the
dogs with their noses to the ground
were upon him almost, and forced him
TO take shelter in a wagon standing in
the yard, where he hid himself in the
bed Just rs the dogs came in the gate.
They looked up the gate post and smelled
rround a little, then without delay fol-
lowed the trail direct to the wagon and
discovered their prey, lying painting like
D tug boat. | looked at the perspiring
convict, and my heart smote me for be-
ing the cause of his race, but / soon
found out that it was a great privilege,
enjoyed by but few, and giving the
puppies a race was considered by them
the very essence of pleasure. The rom
nc. tick .: cd 5!s.G2. !: bic had ::a
alighted on the ground, where the dogs
fought him fiercely, making vicious
springs for him. He repulsed them by
bafieting them with the blanket, Jump
ing away, and thwarting them In any
n without hurting them. Finally
one Of the dogs fastened his teeth in the
convict's coarse pants, at a point where
the most cloth was used in making, and
holding on with unyielding teaacity,
was swung round and round with vigGr,
until tired. The dogs were ttf5n taken
by a guard and the convict went away
highly pleased with his sport.