The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-12-22
A BIG BUCK.

1872
Cato reused us with the dawn, and
we went out to see the dogs fed, pre-
paratory for the morning hunt. 1t
was indeed a magnificent pack.
spot" the sire and leader of this
noble group was of a pure white body,
with a single black spot in the centre
Of the forehead-from which he took
his name. He was n most powerful
animal and able to cope with the larg-
est buck alone He was staghound,
carefully crossed upon the short-legged
and long bodied foxhound.
Music" the dam, was a foxhound
of the true Spartan breed" with 4
voice like a distant alarm bell while
the organ of old Spot" was as sonor-
Gus as the boom Of "old ocean" against
hollow cliffs.
But among them all my eye instant
ly detected q magnificent creature-a
black and tan hound, that to me
seemed absolutely perfect as q speci-
men Of canine symmetry. His coat
was as fine as the most glossy silk;
from his head, which was pointed like
a serpent's his fine, broad and thin
cars, with their great swelling veins,
depended more than an inch below the
tip of his nose. His neck like young
stag's; his chest, barrel ribbed and
deep as a panther's; his loins, as clean
as a greyhound's, with a broad, strong
back; limbs that seemed to have been
hammered by some wondrous skill out
of fine steel; and such q voice! bugles,
clarons, cymbals, bells, winds, waters,
echoes, mingled, clashing, rolling, roar
ing, in one tide Of rushing sound; alto
gether they were nothing to that voice.
Sv-ho rr, To- n1y
claimed, ''to the voice of Black Terror
and Smile" as he named a beautiful
tan slut of smaller size, which stood
beside this noble animal
The whole kennel was fed upon bread
exclusively during the hunting season,
and were never permitted to touch any
meat except what they themselves
killed. This kept them in fine bottom
and wind for running and made them
very savage.
A delicious breakfast is rapidly dis
patched, the horn is sounded and we
are off for our stands in the deep for
est.
Cato, who drives" turns to the left
at the corner of the plantation, follow
ed by the whole pack, while we follow
bride path leading straight ahead
into the depths of the forest.
In n half mile | am stationed lust
on the verge of the "old bank" as it is
called, of the river, with the deep for
est, through which Cato is driving on
my left, and on my right, after Il sheer
descent of twenty feet, tremendous
swamp, which was now dry, except
where tlaversed by deep lagOons filled
with quicksands. Jack rode on n mile
further to his stand. My instructions
We're not to let the hounds pass my
stand if l missed the deer, which would
attempt to get by me into the almost
impenetrable swamps, where, if the
dogs followed him, they would be lost
for the remainder Of the day.
l had not long to wait, for could
just begin to hear my heart beat In
the restored silence, and neighboring
squirrel had only just commenced bark
ing at me, when a low and distant
bay, followed by faint whoop, showed
that trail had been struck Gradual
ly the sounds gathered as voice after
voice Joined In, until at last the thun-
der bass of old Spot doomed out and
Old Music followed with a blast, and
now ire eldshlng c:angor Of Black Ter
ror's tongue led off the bursting SYM
phony and the forest rang to reverber-
ations, which startled the heart into
my very throat.
Peal on peal and now sudden 81
lence-my blood is running Ike mill
tails through the swollen veins and
the arteries throb almost to bursting!
Crash! there it goes again! Heavens!
what music! How the leaves hutter
and the trees sway to my vision!
Whoop! in n smothered gasp. II I
could only yell Here they come! 1
wonder the forest isn't levelled before
tho mighty roll nf cnttn1f Inf
again! No, it is only muflied as they
go down some valley! Now they rise
again! ye gods! IF could only give
one yell. How it deafens they must
be right upon me! they will be running
over me, dogs, deer and all! l am no
Actaeon! Oh, hurricane and thunder
claps-hist. here he comes. and out
bounded within ten feet of me a tre-
mendous buck, with his mighty ant.
lers like forest trees, thrown back up
On his rump! He has paused an in
stant
Crackl away with one prodigious
bound, he clears the twenty feet of
bank and is crashing through the
swamp
What roar! Here they arel bristles
PAGES ahead, Spot next, then Music
and all the rest in n crowd, looking
savage as harried wolves. You might
as wei talk Of stopping the Mississippi
they have sInelled blood. What a
terrible burst! Black Terrors leap Is
as long as the bucks, Old Spot roars
again. They are out Of sight! That's
Jacks yell. Hark his horses feet al
ready He is coming, furious because
did not stop the buck.
And furiouh he was sure enough!
began To exclaim at the top Of my