The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-03-13
Cur @liu.
Chased by Dogs.
From the atlanta Constitution.

TTOm tHc -dUuHtu COHStHuttOH.
While at Oldtown l saw race between
a convict and hound. A gaunt convict,
long of leg and flank, was selected for the
run. He was told to put off quickly, circle
in the woods, take swift run over fields,
roads and through every squad of convicts
he could find in his way. This he did.
The hounds were loafng about the stockade
yard, as listless lot of dogs as ever were
seen. "I'm tempted" said Mr.. Williams,
''to let the convict ride horse for mile
or two after he has run awhile. have had
dogs trail convict on horseback four miles,
and then take the track where he jumped
from the horse" By this time the flying
convict was small speck on the broad fields
and in moment more had melted into the
horizon and was gone, as if, indeed, he had
found that liberty for which his soul painted,
and had gone as the strong winged birds
90 when they vanish in the blue ether.
In an hour we mounted our horses.
The hounds were still loafng about ir the
sunshine. Suddenly Mr.. Williams, squar-
ing himself in his saddle, blew three quick,
short blasts on the cows horn that hung at
its side. AS if by magic, the hounds
awoke and charged at his saddle eager,
baying, frantic. 'Nigger !' he said SEN
tentiously. Like the wind they were off,
nose to the ground, tails up, circling like
beagles Larger the circles grow, the
hounds silent as specters, eyes and nose
eating the earth for its secret. "They will
pass over the tracks of convict squads, but
will open on the first single track they find
If it is the wrong track, we will simply sit
still. They will run it hundred yards or
so, and, noting our silence, will throw it
off again When they get the right track,
we will halloo and start after the hound
that has it. The others will join him and
the race is opened"
At last red hound, careering like mad
across the field, halts suddenly, tumbles
over himself, faces about, noses the ground
eagerly, lifts his head, "Aaooowu," and is
off like an arrow from bowstring. "That's
the track" shouts Williams, and after the
howling hound we 90. The other hounds
Join in pell nell at first, then each hound
true to the track, in full cry and at a rat
tling gait. Away off to the left Captain
James calls attention to a moving speck
against the sky. "That is the convict cir
cling back to camp" he said. On the dogs
went, keen as the wind, inexorable as fate,
following the track of the convict as true
as his own shadow Across the tracks of
hundreds of others, along high roads, over
fields, through herds of cattle, by other
convicts, that smiled grimly as they passed,
the hounds went, holding the track Of the
flying convict where it had been laid as
light as thistle on the firm earth, but where
it left the tell tale scent all the same.
Nothing could shake them off-nothing
check their furious rush. Over other
tracks made by convicts wearing shoes
from the same last and same box they went
without hindrance, 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 he neared a
patch of forest. Close to this was squad
of convicts. These we had sent through
the woods an hour before. We had made
estrustees," walking singly, touch every
bush and tree Then the convict we were
trailing was run through, making half
circle, with at least fifty yards radius. The
hounds entered the forest at hustllng
pace, small red dog leading. Suddenly
the leader faltered for an instant, with nose
in air. then burst with fierce cry to the left,
ran obliquely for fully fifty yards, with
head up, when he took up again the track
of the convict, 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 100
feet away. am aware that this is incred-
ible to those who have never seen it. l
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 night, imparts to yielding twig touched
by his clothes so that it attracts hound
fifty yards away. But it certainly does
just that
The last test was now coming. We were
moving toward squad of convicts at work
in cotton field. We had sent the fugitive
convict through this squad. We had then
made them walk in 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 devia-
ton, no let up in the pace. Through the
labyrinth of tracks the hounds went, as
swallows through the air, hurrying inexo-
rably on the one track they had chosen.
The end was now near. The convict,
having run his race, was seen leaning
against tree and watching the hounds
plunging toward him. "Won't he climb
the tree ?" 1 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 twenty yards away from the tree
against which he stood and bayed him
fGriously. Pretty music they made, and
not deeper than l have heard often and
again under possum tree. Mr.. Williams
called them off and the convict came for
ward. "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. I doubt
if there is bloodhound in Georgia, though
two are reported near Cartersville, descended
from a pair owned by Col. JEFF johnson
in the days of slavery The Oldtown dogs
are foxhounds of the Redbone breed, train
ed for several generations to hunt men
They are never tempted with other game.
They are neither fierce nor powerful, and
are relied on solely to trail the convict and
lead his pursuers to his lair.