The west Tennessee star. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1888, 1888-09-07


hunters would not exchange for
the spectacle of the finest bull-fght in
Spanish America Forward, hounds
and racers, ahead through brush and
bramble, guided by the bugle signal OF
the van-guard-joining the direct pur-
suit, or taking advantage of a Decline
trail to gain the uplands ahead of the
fugitives and turn their flight by
flank charge.
The wolves keep well together, fully
aware that stragglers will be instantly
cornered; another mile and the thickets
are gained; but left and right the hill.
sides already clatter under the hoofs OF
galloping horses, the fatal tr0nlpado
rings out its signal-blasts mingled
with even louder cheers, and the run.
ming fight with legion of yelping
ours presently becomes a genera
melee; the gaIgOS, the fierce blood.
hounds Of the border ranches, have
forged ahead, and, cheered by the yelR
of the hunters, at once rush into the
thick of the flying outlaws. For {
moment the terrible snap bites of the
marauders prevail; the aggressors re
coil, but the victory has been pur.
chased at the price of a perilOus delay.
the racers have passed the foothills.
and horn signals already blare froE
the gates of the mountain passes; the
| remaining hopes of escape are meas.
ured by minutes. The gGlgos again
1 ~. e
sion veteran wolf is seen standing
firm, scanning the rocks ahead with
the eye of an expert campaigner.
evidently resolved to keep his wits
steady aud utilize every possible
| chance of salvation.
| But that chance is soon reduced to 3
! problem of battle tactics The confu-
sion of the second charge has involved
| the loss of an additional minute, and
| that minute has decided the fortune o.
the day. Reinforcements of blood
hounds charge bowling up the glen, 9
whirl of galloping hoofs sends down 8
shower of pebbles from the flank of {
lateral ridge, and new detachment
of hunters storms ahead to cOmplet,
/
Every gdJgO on the uplands win sOOT
be on the ground, even if his owner
should have to recall him from the
| view halo chase of a deer hunt. Near
the little mining hamlet of San Rafae
l once visited the camp of railway
| surveyor, when the echo Of a tr0mpddC
sent our Mexicans a-hying in all direc
/ tiOns, and a few minutes after the frs
bevy of hunters a strange team came
| laundering down the road-a horse
two mules and two-wheeled cart con
tanning a hunter and a grizzly ole
gGlgO. The dog was still sore from
the scars Of a recent prize fight, anC
had one of his legs bandaged; bu'
rather than incur the odium of shirk
ing the rally, his owner had decided tC
fetch him out in a cart. and in spite oil
his wounds the old fighter stood bolt
upright, answering the cheers of the
villagers with deep-mOuthed bark.
A dozen such champions can be war
ranted to save the expense of gunpow
der, even in a wolf-hunt. In the frs
heat of the pursuit, and when the
plurality of his allies are still far be
hind, they often outstrip the horse:
and strain every nerve to accomplish
the main purpose of interrupting the
fugitives, but in pitched battle they
can appreciate the advantage of co
operative tactics. Two and two, or il
larger packs, they keep close together
and while the mounted hunters charg,
in with clubs of blackberry wood, theil
canine allies pick off blockade runner,
till the reduction of the hostile force
warrants a signal for n general as
sault. That signal tests the power o
the leaders, for the wolves now close
their ranks, and the valor of their vet
Grams seems to increase with the hope
lessness Of their plight, and even tn,
last survivors perish in selling then
lives as dearly as possible. Dripping
with blood and the foam of their saw
age snap-bites, they stand bristling a
bay grimly determined to resist theil
aggressors to the very last
She-wolves, however, somewhat
lack that stoicism, and in view of in
evitable death are apt to lift thei
heads and wake the echoes of tn,
alturas with d weird farewell howl
addressed, perhaps, to the memory o
their starving whelps in the cavern
of the distant Sierras. -FeliT L. Os
t0ald, i1l ". Y. Mail and Express