, 1888-05-25
THE TRUE BLOODHOUND.
A Descendant of the Deer Hounds of olE
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

A Descendant of the Deer Hounds of oil
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
The true bloodhound originated from
the old Talbot breed of Northern England.
From these deer hounds of old England
the modern Texas bloodhound is de-
scended. OF course there are other spe-
cies of bloodhounds, viz, the Siberian
bloodhound, which is an immense AMI
NAL, and too entirely ferocious 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 re-
claim 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 n combina-
ton of the deer hound, the ferocious
mastiff and the Russian for Siberian)
greyhound. They thus unite the uner-
ring scent of the deer hound, the savage
bloodthirstiness of the mastiff and the
leetness of the greyhound. They will
track q 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 GER
tain sense, a misnomer. The Texas
hound is not a savage animal, save when
wounded, or when resistance is made.
They are true descendants Of the SPLEEN
did animals which made such royal sport
for the Norman kings and mobiles. Gen
tie, patient, untiring and magnificent in
strength, they are at once the patricians
of their race and the favorites of their
masters. The cruel admixture of blood
which gives the Cuban hound his devil
ish hatred of a fleeing foe is, happily,
absent from the physical development OF
u American hounds. Indeed, public
opinion would not for n moment tolerate
the use of the Cuban hound in pursuit of
criminals, even of the most desperate
character. The object TO be attained by
theu use OF bloodhounds is not the death
or managing of the man pursued, but his
capture, and the hound is, therefore,
called into requisition mo- or account of
his powers Of destruction, but because
his unerring instinct will guide him
straight and true on the path the culprit
has taken, even though t~wenty-four
hours may have elapsed and rains have
fallen and winds have blown to render
the scent cold and faint and perplexing.
These noble animals have inherited all
the instincts Of their forefathers, who
gave back the deep and mellow echo of
their bay in English glades in p
to the notes blown by royal lips.
When Ceur de Lion and his noble
train pursued the fleeing stag through
sunny Sherwood's forest aisles they knew
by the note of the hound that the ant
Tered foe, arrow stricken and bleeding,
was bayed by the f6ithful 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, put sore and furnishing
as he was, he kept the buck on the de-
T 'nsive until the hunters arrived, and it
\. - only when the arm of his 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 a weary mile
that day over bog and moor. mountain
stream and bosky thicket.
And in this power of restraint consists
the great, h true value of the Texas
bloodhound. He responds faithfully t o
the inherited instincts OF his race. Trained
to track a stag, he will follow him until
he has bayed him, and will leave the
NiCthh unnarHned unIl tne ARRIVAL or tho
hunter. Trained to track man, he will
do the same thing exactly. Hence, as
sheriffs do not desire the death but the
capture Of criminals, 1t will easily be
seen how far superior the Texas hound is
to his Cuban cousin, and how much
better adapted to the needs of q humane
and civilized people.
1t may be taken as an absolute fact
that no f~upittua naa1 faar hor-, frOro Z,
Texas bloodhound if, when brought to n
stand, he will remain quiet until his
captors come. If he offers resistance,
continues his flight or wounds the hound,
why, then the hound will do just as his
master would do under similar circum-
stances, and resort to extreme measures
TO defend himself. Galveston Cor. Globe
Democrat.