The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-06-02

GlOanI for the relief guard u was chance
that might never come again dropped my
bucket aud qulckly walked away.
Now, tins was my position, ] was In a
wood In "A strange. tElLly settled country
that did not know had couvict's stripes
on my back, and not cent or weapon In
my pocket, and knew that my absence was
sure 10 he discovered IN less than an hour,
| when the roll would be called. They were
long chances, but death. It seemed 10 me-,
would lie preferable Ia recapture and pun
| iShncnt The thing was to put rs much
space as possible between myself and the
camp before the alarm, and plunged ahead,
taking "A southeGstorly direction from the
stars chose the thick Of the wood rather
than the open, for from the time passed the
guard the hiuodhounds had never been out OF
my mind an instant, and knew
that the trees would seriously embar
raSS the riders VINO follow the pack.
IL is generally supposed that blood
hounds track aud tree fugitives for hours be
fore the pursuing party comes up, but as
matter OF fact, the riders always aim to be
rig on the TANKS Of the dogs, There was
good deal Of underbrush and II was hard
progress, but excitement kept me up, and
never paused until reached a clearing
good SIX miles away, where ! threw myself
down and listened. The wind was still yet,
the night was full Of the interminable stir OF
the woods the iutter OF leaves, the swapping
of twigs, and the scamper of some belated
squirrel, and in every sound fancled could
hear the faint, far Laying OF tho hounds.
Stories ! had heard In camp OF the savage
beasts swarming over poor wretchcs and
tearing them open as they fought, came back
TO me, and every revolving detail leaped into
horrd picturlng in my mind until my scalp
began to creep and sweat started out all over
me like water, 1t had grown very dark, but
! dived into the woods again, thrustlng my
hands in front of me 10 keep the branches
out of my eyes
kept on pretty steadily all night, and
when morning dawned it found me on the
fringes Of the wood belt, with n sparsey
grown, unduating country before me. There
was a thicket near by; crept into it and
painted there for while | was dead tired,
and my feet were swollen so that my shoes
seemed bursting, but ! could not sleep for
tho haunting thought Of those dogs yelping
along my trail and getting nearer and nearer.
! made club from the limb Of tree, and
dragged myself on. Ii would be tedious to
rchearso the experiences of that day and the
next in detail. was weakened by punish
ment and bad food, and fatigue began TO tell
terribly upon me | slept in uneasy snntches,
waking with start, and took extraordinary
pains to break my trail, swinging from
branches of trees and jumping from stumps,
My brain was so distraught and prcyed upon
that often ! stopped stock still with the agon.
izing conviction that the hounds were right
behind me. and at times | could make sure |
saw them crashing through the underbrush.
On the second day, when was half famlshed,
managed by great good luck to knock over
rabbit, and ate some of 1t raw, carrying the
rest with me- On the third day had as yet
seen no house, but struck into disused road,
which made me hopeful that there were some
habtatiOn near ! had determined to throw
myself on the mercy Of the first man met
1t must have boen about noon, while was
passing through well wooded strip, that |
heard n mOurnful note that made my hear
stand still 1t was no hallucination this time,
but the unmistakable wall o! bloodhounds
that had heard often enough from their
kennel in the camp As stood there, terror
stricken and thrilling, the baying sounded
again, now right mt hand, and an instant
aud made straight at me. There was no tree
near that was large enough to bear me, so ]
gripped my bludgeon and prepared to fight
But when the dogs came within dozen feet
they stopped and began to fawn and wag
their tails. They were hounds from the camp
they wore the Lone Star col!ar-but it was
plain they wanted to he friends even with
such poor wretch rs Then noticed that
the brutes were starved and trembling and
threw them half my rabbit. BY the time
they devoured it was pattng their heads
and they were licking my hands.
Ny theory was then, and is now that early
in the chase the rest of the hounds took the |
wrong trail, and these three alone stuck to
the right one. Their famished condition lent |
itself TO this conclusion, at any rate never |
saw or heard of the rest of the pack or any Of |
the guards. But | soon found that blood |
bounds arc not 10 be dcspiscd as travelling |
for | wandered amlessly for |
sight days longer, and had it not been for
hem, would most certainly have starved
they ran down rabbits for me, and one day
~ great chance or dexterity, caught a wild |
turkey, AMI thus we managed to keep alive
AZ night time we all slept In n heap, and tho
logs kept me warm. Moreover, knew that
t would be impossible for any one to sur
)r!se mo before they would give the alarm
On the eleventh day out and my three
Jloodhounds walked into u COW camp, and
when the good natured COW punchcrs heard
ny story and satisfied themselves that had
,een one Of them once upon a time, they I'M
lertook To spirit me over tho state line |
lated 20 part with the dogs, for we had CON
'ei we'd "A prpnt esteem for each M bar, hut tba
cowboys kept them as loot, and, afterward
earned, sold one Of them for SIS to an Eng
ash tourist. After a couple OF months of
'icissitudos made my way north, and, al
hough the authorities of Texas have assured
nc that there will he no effort made TO prose.
ute or roarrest me, | have never had any
'raving to revisit the Lone Star state New
York Sun
Tho Sultan and His Musicians.
IL is told that ono Uay the sultan in m