The National tribune., 1888-05-03
DOGS THAT HUNT MEN.
Mistaken Notions as to the characteristics OF the
Texas BIoodhOunds.
ISl. Louis Glo5s-Dsmoorat.I

What is q bloodhound? Scientifically this
animal is labelled oaais famiIiaris. Rather a
meek name that, q household dog. But the
bloodhound is long-descended animal, pa
tricisn, in fact, and the g familiar dog of the
English Baron was anything but meek. For
war and sport he was, and still is, as oour-
ageous as need be, but with it all he is by no
means the bloodthirsty brute his name would
seem to indicate. Give a dog bad name"
etc.
The use of blo0dhounds in pursuing fugitive
slaves In the days before the war, their appear
ance in Uncle Toms Cabin" presentations,
and the frequent mention Of their use in track
ing criminals in this State have rendered the
public familiar with their name and with their
power of following a trail where man would be
at fault. Some of the most famous desperadoes
of the Southwest owe the bloodhound debt of
vengeance, for by his unerriug scent alone were
they trailed to their hidden retreats and COM
PEELED to yield to the law as typifed in the
frowning muzzle of the deadly Winchester.
The true bloodhound originated from the old
Talbot breed of northern England. They were
well known in Shakspere's days, for he speaks
of
talbot strong, sturdy tyke.
And, in effect, the very crest of the Talbots is
" tyke (or bloodhouud) dexter, etc" In order
that the ancestry Of this famous animal may
be fully understood. it is only necessary to
state that the bloodhound is simply deer
hound trained to follow men. In the 0lden
days of England, when vast forests we're filled
with stays of 10 tynes," the fsvorite sport of
royalty and the great mobiles was the chase.
These stays were hunted with a species of large
hound, larger than the foxhound, tall, square
headed, slow in pursuit, but untiring; with
long, pendulous ears heavy dropping lips and
joWl, and with a stern, yet noble expression.
They were especially useful as their pace was
so slow that hOrseman could easily keep up
with them in the chase, and even an active
pedestrian could do so, for the humber mem
ber's of kings or mobiles hunting suite always
went afoot. From these deerhounds of old Eng
land the modern Texas bloodhound is descended.
Of course there are other species OF blood
hounds, viz, the Siberian bloodhound, which is
an immense animal, and too entirely ferociOns
to use in the pursuit of any human being, and
the Cuban or Spanish bloodhound, which is
nearly akin to the one just named. These
latter were used by the Spanish colonists to
track Indians, and in later times to reclaim
fugitive slaves, but they have rarely, if ever,
been used by any one IN the United States.
They are, besides, an entirely different breed of
dogs.
The Cuban bloodhound is a combination of
the deerhound, the ferocious mastif and tho
Russian Tor Siberian) greyhound. They thus
unite the unerring scent of the deerhound, the
savage bloodthirstiness of the mastiH and the
ieetness Of the greyhound. They will track
fugitive, and, having bayed" him, will tear
him in pieces.
Far different from this terrible animal is the
genuine Texas bloodhound. The name blood "
hound is, in fact, in a certain sense, mis-
nomer. The Texas hound is not savage ami
NAL, save when wounded, or when resistance lie
made They are true descendants Of the splen-
did animals which made such royal sport for
the Norman kings and mobiles Gentle, patient,
untiring, and magnificent in strength, they are
at once the patricians of their race and the
favorites of their masters. The cruel admix-
ture of blood which gives the Cnban hound his
devilish hatred of fleeing foe is, happily, ab-
sent from the physical development Of our
American hounds. Indeed, public opinion
would not for a moment tolerate the use of the
Cuban hound in pursuit of criminals, even of
the most desperate character. The object to
be attained by the use Of 7bIoodhounds is not
the death or manging of the man pursued, but
his capture and the hound is, therefore, called
| into requsition, not on account of his powers
! of destruction, but because his uneTring in
| stinct will guide him straight and true on the
| path the cuprit has taken, even though "a
/ hours may have elapsed and rains have fallen
and winds have blown 70 render the scent cold
and faint and perpIezing. These noble animals
have inherited all the instincts of their fore
! fathers, who gave bacx the deep and mellow
! echo of their bay in English glades in response
! to the notes blown by royal lips.
! When Ceur dc Leon and his noble train pur-
| sued the fleeing stag through sunny SherWood's
| forest aisles they knew by the note of the
hound that the antlere foe, arrow-stricken and
bleeding. was bayed by the faithful pack, but
! only bayed. The painting animal did not at
tempt to slake his thirst in the blood of his
majestic prey, as the Cuban hound would have
| done, but sore and furnishing as he was he kept
| the buck on the defensive until the hunters
L.
royal or noble master had driven home the
sharp steel blade that he ventured to feast on
! the rich red current Which flowed from the
| stricken throat of the gallant foe which had
led him many weary mile that day over bog
and moor mountain stream and b0sky thicket.
And in this power of restraint consists the
| great the true value Of the Texas bloodhound.
He responds faithfully to the inherited instincts
of his race. Trained TO track a stag, he will fol-
low him until he has bayed him. and viii leave
the victim unharmed until the arrival of the
! hunter Trained to track man, he will do the
same thing exactly. Hence, as sherifs do not
desire tho death, but the capture Of criminals,
it will easily be seen how far superior the Texas
hound is TO his Cuban cousin, and how much
better adapted to the needs of humane and
civilized people.
1t may be taken as an absolute fact that NO
fugitive need fear harm from Texas blood
hound if. when brought to stand, he will re-
main quiet until MS capJorS come. III he offers
resistance, continues his fight or wounds the
hound-Why, then the hound win do Just as his
master would do under similar circumstances
and resort to extreme measures to defend him
self
1t is not yet six months since desperate in
| the Panhandle Of Texas was trailed into a
chaparraI thicket by three good hounds. He
was brought to bay, and the noble animals
made no effort to harm him. But seeing his
pursuers coming up, he made another desperate
attempt to save himself. Ia ain instant the
hounds were on him, and when the sheriff and
his men at length arrived they found two dead
hounds, covered with knife wounds and the
} third hound, unnjured, save for slight stab
with his fangs firmly fixed in the throat of the
! dying criminal. The remark the sheriff made
at the time is worth page of explanation:
That fool just flung his life away fighting
three dogs with Barlow knife. Why didn'1
; he keep still? 2"
Why is this dog called the bloodhound2 The
name is deceiving. 1t is not that the ami
NAL is more fond of blood than any other dog
but it is owing to the peculiar instinct which
he gained when tracking wounded or bloody
deer. In course Of time this faculty has beer
sharpened and developed but the original in
stiuct was gained in the forests of England.
Charles Read makes fiae use of this char
acteristic trait in the 'Cloister and tht
Hearth" The maiden and her lover, anC
I friends are fleeing from men and bloodhounds
8 Tho MAJ, Garord olnua ;o H. oL:aa4 -