The Bessemer indicator., 1894-01-20

fellow, who was, as usual, second,
or third cousin, for your true Virgin
ian never marries "out OF the family"
and every planter In South Kentucky
was n Virgihian, OF course.
Amidst the merry crowd, ! very
soon made out the tall; lank figure of
my friend Jack, whom 1 had not met
for several years. Indeed IL would be
difficult to mistake him in any crowd,
rail-splinter, with hi. bsak-lilte nose,
and projecting chin. There was
about him. too, the decided, naughty
carriage of the high blooded animal,
! and with his head thrown back in u
hearty, fox-hunting guffaw, there was
something indescribnbly keen, game,
and dashing in his appearance.
As expected, when APPROACHED
him found him in the midst of a
glowing description of his last run with
his dogs, and closely surrounded by
nm cnger audience OF young men, for
Jack was no great hand with the
women,
spot" had just seized big ten
prong" buck on the bound, by the
throat, and brought him to his knees,
when Jack caught my eye: The names
Of "Music," Sound" and "Rattier"
coming utterance, as he stared at me
Tor moment of doubtful recognition.
'Helloa! Charlie W.! by old Bell
Mouth!" (Jack always swore by his
favorite slew-track dog, Bell-M Mouth.
who never gave tongue on false
trail.) why, my boy, how are
you? Just In time-the bucks
are just in the blue The dogs are
us lean as ! am, and rs fierce as
starved tigers for a chasel"
I'm your manl--but lean as you
are, Jack, why, you make them carry
weight In high wind, don't youp
Glad to see you, by my faith! They
say you've got the finest pack west Of
the Alleghanies, now!"
West of the Alleghaniesi Pshaw!
man, nothing to equal them on top of
the sodl Twenty-Five, all told, with
When they open in full blast they
make the hills skip like young lambs
and the trees bend before the sound,
like in a hurricane! tell you, they
make the Mississippi walk up stream,
and the catfish stand straight up on
their tails, out of tho wntar, to listen
to them"
'That'll do. Jack. When do you go
back home?"
start in the morning-you'l .be
III ready? Won't let YOU off under
three weeks. Wo have the cream Of
the hunting season now?"
Wont promise for all that time
but will be ready for you in the
morning"
That's good boyl bring nothing
but your rifle-if y1d want birds, /
have guns enough, and Ponto's nose
!. as keen as bricr!"
A two days ride through the wild
and picturesque "Barrens" brought lis
to the banks Of the Mississippi river.
Here we entered upon d long deeii
stretch of land, covered with tho most
trem-ndone forest ever saw. 1t ex-
funded from Columbus, Or the "Iron
Hanks" as they are called, up some
thirty miles, nearly parallel with the
present course of the Mississippi
though greatly elevated above the
present bottom. From seven to ten
miles in width, this singular tongue
OF land was without single inhab-
liant, except the settlement of the
Ms, about mile from Columbus
though COMPOSING some of the richest
land of the state-from the fact of it's
being an old military reserve, and
covered, rs Jack said, s'six deep with
titles. which had sufficed to keep
at bay even tho unscrupulous
crulv given over to the pos
session of wild animals, and CON
stitn.cd the grentest hunting-ground
within hundreds of miles.
Here the N's-who were wealthy
and aristocratic 'Old Dominion
$ oclx--hsd opened large plantation,
Immediately upon the river bank,
where it descended 300 feet perpendic-
niariy to the water.
From the portico OF the Mansion
house placed upon this lofty perch,
you could command clear view Of
the majestic river. to its junction with
the Ohio, thirty miles above. This
Wa, no insignificant sight, you may
rest assured. with sometimes twenty
STEAMBOATS, in view ut time.
Such Il llnballoo as greeted us
when we nlighted at the gate! The
hounds had first discovered us, and to
the shout of their master gave us u
ninnies cams pouring in sooty legions
cut OF the cabins of the extensive
"quarter" which flanlxed the mansion
in the b ck-ground-their black, shiny
fuccs stretched in yells and grins ex-
hibiting un ivory ecstasy of delight at
n, return OF "Massa Jack"-while
ti:r hounds nearly tumblcd us into
'ic dirt, with their rude gambols. In
a moment the whole plantation
sra'ncd alive. and Jacks favorite
hunter Lara, which had the freedom
II ti.e yard, came prnncing into the
niece.
The ladies of the hospital BILE man
sion met us at the door, and was
greeted with that gentle and high
bred franhness for which the true
NirG.;.il woman has always been
,c,i-whic.. has that indescribably
IN tacrly IN ssterly something in IT.
which makes the stranger feel at once
that he has found home.
After his mother and three lovely
young sisters, Jacks next greeting
was to his nulatto foster mother, who
stood with loving and hum BILE smile
upon her good-looking face. in the
bao L ground, along with her son,
Jacks foster brother and body SER
vaLt, Cato.
i hen to supper.
All! that delicious supper! the
frcah, juicy venison, the cakes OF
grated green corn, kneaded in
is own sweet milk by some
mystcrious !roccss, known only to
Virginia womcn-and coffee wns a re-
distillation OF nectar. thickcned with
golden cream!
Then to bed.
Cato reused us, with the dawn; and
we went out to see the dogs fed,
preparatory to the morning hunt 1t
wai indeed, q magnificent pack, such
us 1 .,nd never seen before Twelve of
them were Of the same family. and of
great size and power, standing very
high upon their legs, and marked with
great uniformity with black spots
upon purc white ground.
Spot" the sire and lea,lcr Of this
noble group, was of pure white
body, with q single black spot in the