Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-02-04

inexorable as fate, following the track
Of the flying convict where 1t had been
laid as lightly as thistle on the firm
earth, but where it left its telltale scent
all the same. Nothing could shake
them off-nothing check their furious
rush. Over other tracks made by con-
yicts wearing shoes from the same last
and same box they went without him
drance, led by some intangible miracle
of the air, straight on single trail.
Now We'll see them wind his scent
fifty yards away said Williams, as we
neared patch of forest. Close to this
was squad OF convlcts. These we
had sent through the woods an hour
before. We had made TRUSTEES, walk
ing singly. touch every bush and tree.
Then the convict we were trailing was
run through, making a half circle, with
at least fifty yards radius. The
hounds entered the forest at hustiing
pace, a small red dog leading. Sudden
ly the leader faltered for an instant,
with hose in air, then burst with fierce
cry to the left, ran obliquely for full fif-
ty yards, with head up, when he took
up again the track of the conyict, and
lowered his head to the ground. He
had simply made short cut across the
semicircle, having caught scent of the
convict on The bushes more than hun
dred feet away. I am aware that this
is incredible to those who have never
seen it. / cannot explain what it is
that the flying man, clad and shod as a
hundred others, fed on the same food
chained daily to the same chain, and
sleeping in the same hunks at nights
imparts to yielding twig touched by
his clothes so that it attracts a hound
fifty yards away. But it certainly does
just that.
The last test was now coming. We
were moving toward squad Of con-
victs at work i'm cotton field. We
had sent the fugitive conYict through
this squad. We had then made them
walk in a double circle around him.
They then crossed and recrossed his
tracks, many of them wearing exactly
such shoes as he wore. One hour later
the hounds struck this point. There
was not an instant's pause. There
was no deviation. no let up in the pace.
Through the labyrinth of tracks the
hounds went, as swallows through the
air, hurrying inexorabIy on the one
track they had chosen.
The end was now near. The convict
having run his race, was seen leaning
against tree ana watching the hounds
plunging toward him. wont he
climb the tree p l asked. No; the
hounds are trained to simply bay the
convicts when they come up with them
Otherwise the convicts would kill
them.' BY this time the hounds had
sighted him. They halted about twen-
ty yards away from the tree against
which he stood and bayed him furious
ly. Pretty music they made, and not
deeper than l have heard often and a.
gain under 'possum tree. Mr.. Will
Jams called them off, and the convict
came forward. Dem puppies Is doin'
mighty well, Cap'n,' he said, grinning
as he lazily swung by on his way to the
stockade.
These dogs are not bloodhounds. /
doubt if there is a bloodhound in Geor-
gia, though two are reported near Car
tersyllle, descended FROM pair owned
by Col. jeff Johnson in the days of
slavery. The Oldtown dogs are fox
hounds of the RedboDe breed, trained
for several generations to hunt men.
They are never tempted by other game.
They are neither fierce nor powerful,
and are relied on solely to trail the con-
vict and lead his pursuers to his lair.
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