The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-02-24
CHASED BY DOGS.
HOW ESCAPED CONVICTS ARE
PURSUED IN THE SOUTH.

| HO" ESCAPED CONVlCIS AM
! PURSUED IN THE SOUTH.
Remarkable Keenness of Scent-Dis-
tinguishing One Man Amonga
Hundred-Taught to Ray
But Not to Attack.
While at Oldtown I saw race between
convict and the hounds. A gaunt con-
vict, long of leg and flank, was selected
for the run. He was told to put oil
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
then 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 60
when thev vanish in the blue ether.
In an hour we mounted our horses.
The hounds were still loafng about in
the sunshine. Suddenly Mr.. Williams,
squaring himself in his saddle, blew
three quick, short blasts on the cows
horn that hung ut it's side. AS if by
magic, the hounds awoke and charged
at his saddle-eager, baying, frantic.
"Nigger !" he said sententiously. Like
the wind they were off, nose to the
ground, tails up, .circling like beagles.
Larger the circles grow, the hounds 81
lent 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 a hum
dred 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 a red hound, careering like mad
across the field, halts suddenly, tumbles
over himself, faces about, noses the
ground eagerly, lifts his head,
"a ooowu' and is off like an ar
row from a bowstring. ''That's the
track" shouts Williams, and after the
howling hound we 60. The other dogs
Join in pell nell at first, then each hound
true to the track, in full cry and at a rat
thing gait. Away off to the left Captain
James calls attention to moving speck
against the sky. ''That is the convict
circling back to camp he said. On the
dogs went, keen as the wind, inexorablc
as fate, following the track Of the con-
vict as true as his own shadow. Across
the tracks of hundreds of others along
high roads, ovar 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 of-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 mira
Gle of the air, straight on asingle trail.
'sNow We'll see them wind his scent
fifty yards away" said Williams, as he
neared patch of forest. Close to this
was squad of convicts. These we had
sent through the woods an hour before.
We had made ''trustees, walking singly,
touch every bush and tree. Then the con-
vict we were trailing was run through,
making half circle, with at least fifty
yards radius. The hounds entered the
forest at hustling 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 OBJ
! liquely for full 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 a short
cut across the semicircle, having caught
scent of the convict on the bushes more
than 100 feet away. I am aware that this
is incredible to those who have never
seen it. I cannot explain what it is that
the flying man, clad and shod as hum
dred others, fed on the same food, chained
daily to the same chain, and sleeping in
the same hunks at night, imparts to a
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 u
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 inexorably 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. "Wont he climb
the treea" I asked. "No, the hounds
are trained to simply bay the convicts
when they come up with them. Other
wise 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 furiously. Pretty
,oueic thay made and not 6pcper than