Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-31
"They are there !" said he.

"How many?" inquired his COM
panion.
"Twenty, at the very least; they'll
examine the creek pretty soon, and
the best thing we can do is to hide
until we can go down stream without
any risk of being seen."
The canoe was showed under the
bushes so far as to be unnoticeable
from the shore, while at the same
time those within, by great care and
prudence, could look out upon the
water and see who were passing.
The hunters scarcely moved, for
they heard the Seminoles all around
them. 1t seems as if the latter were
aware that they had gone on a visit
to the fort and were waiting. If they
once caught sight of the little boat
coming up the creek there would
be no escape for the inmates. as in
the narrow channel they could easily
shoot the hunters from the shore.
More than once our friends heard
them in the underground directly be-
hind them, and the slightest noise upon
their part would have resulted in in
slant discovery. They soon learned
that the Indians had blood-hounds
with them, whose peculiar cries now
and then reached their ears. Fortu-
nately indeed for the whites was it that
they had taken to the water, which
left no trail behind. The wonderful
scent of these terrible brutes would
have led them on like inevitable fate !;
and even now their great fear was
that the prying-nose quadrupeds would
discover their place of concealment.
Not until long after dark did the
hunters venture out and resume their
journey down. They continued it
until after midnight, when, as they
were near the fort, and they believed
the danger past, they concluded to
lie by until morning, as they had sub
jected themselves to extra exertlons
during the day.
Wilmington lay down in the canoe,
while O'Kennan started up the bank to
gather wood with which TO make fire.
He had not been gone 10 minutes
when the report of rife-shots, accom-
panied by an agonizing shrek, told him
that all was up with his comrade, and
that his life depended upon getting
away as speedily as possible.
He darted away into the woods, ex-
pecting every moment to hear the bay
ing of the blood-hounds in pursuit
He ran until day began breaking,
when the dreaded sound reached his
ears. The Seminole blood-hounds
were upon his trail.
1t happened at this time that OXEN
nan was near no water, so that 1t was
impossible 10 hide his trail, and he
pushed forward, like any frightened
fugitive whose only desire is to get as
far away from his enemies as possible.
He was very fleet of foot, but Of course
was no match for the blood hounds,
whose deepmouthed baying was heard
every minute.
| Nearer and nearer came the dreadful
sounds, until, while speeding through
an open part of the woods, he caught
sight of the foremost dashing toward
him. The hunter was brought to bay
at last, and turning round he raised his
rifle to his shoulder, and waiting until
sure, he shot the savage dog through
the brain. But there were two others
who made their appearance almost at
the same moment, and there was no
time to reload. Springing to a small
tree near at hand he hastily assembled
to the lowest limbs, at the same moment
that the two red-mouthed dogs thun-
dered up almost at his very feet.
O'Kennan reloaded as rapidly as
possible, and shot the second dog. He
was about doing the same thing with
the remaining one, when he recognized
him by peculiar mark upon his fore
head, as one wnom he once owned.
He addressed him by name when the
hound showed such joy that he had no
fear to descend to the ground. Patting
him upon the head, he found that the
dog recognized him, and was once
more his own.
As the Seminoles were undoubtedly
near at hand, the flight was resumed,
and a few hours later O'kennan and
his dog safely reached Fort Nc
Laughlln.