The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-09-10
HAD GREAT SPORT.
Chasing Foxes Down i'm
Lower LaurenS.
Spirited Account OF Fun with Hound
Horn-Digging Out an Old
Red Fellow.
EDITOR THE ADVERTISERS, SIR:

EDITOR III ADVERTISER, Sir:
Feeling sure many readers OF your
paper will enjoy my relating this
hunt, | ask you to publish it.
We had been on a hunt or two, but
1T was so dry we had to double and
hedge ON a fox to get him. This time
1t was wet and we all felt good as we
drove up to u old camp near the fast
becoming famous Stomp Springs, of Mr..
Geo. f. Young, of Laurens. But Thurs-
day morning 1t was raining hard ard
we were some disappointed as most of
our dogs were young, and any fox
hunter knows what 1t means to Jump
ono after q hard rain with young dogs,
but the fervor was high and we made
1t pleasant specializing en- where we
could ride up onc, and how much bet
ter dogs would make one burn than if
dry. Some one heard q horn aud we
ran out to keep u dogs under the
house as two gentlemen rode up with
Hill, Eugene White, Charles and Lark
Griffin and myself invited them in
They came in and l failed to catch the
name of one, the other was McCarley,
and soon MIR Cofield Brock and an old
negro GILLIAN rod up with seventeen
dogs. We had IS. We prevailed on
them to stay with us till the rain ceased
which was till IL O'Clock and every
man, horse and dog seem to be aglow,
AS we rode by Mr.. McCarley, he said:
Boys what a picture" 35 dogs, all col
ors and the men mounting and blowing
horns, etc. In one hour old Iced gave
n cry and | put heels to Fritz for |
wanted all dogs off and L knew a fox
was near and would move quick, and
we'll L did for they were gone and
only those that have felt the ioy
could or can imagine with what ANNA
tiOn that set of men did separate. The
dogs made one beautiful tack with solid
cry and off they went. So long as [
could hear they did not make a hush
and L felt good and confident to ride
without hearing. Soon several of US
came out at the same crossing aud we
had to take b track and follow them.
How the boys argued. Fifteen dogs
still after him" one would say, and then
another, "see how they cover that trail
boys, no circling for it., a dead pull, he
can't live long at that" and we soon
concluded to divide them and hunt
them faster and then a horn that [
knew we'll blew. Another severed
and we all blew IL horns and soon
came to where a negro had gotten the
fox and carried it to camp. The Union
boys lost no time in cutting off feet and
bidding us adieu and our first day WAS
over, except The chat al to this dog and
that dog being at catch and how
foolish we did ride till we slept.
Friday was a fine morning, but we did
not get a trail till late and scent was
so good, dogs ran wild and five dogs
got off and with our best efforts We
failed to get up with them and it is a
matter of doubt as to what did become
of them. They came back tired and
lame. We had come up with more
stray dogs and that caused confusion.
Saturday A. M. was ideal, and it
being the last day, dogs sore, horses
n men too, was just the time for an
old ranger to give a two hour sneak
and I had vowed not to ride my Fritz,
But sure he did sneak out and how, as
all hunters know it does take riding
and yelling to keep the slow t~railers up
with the sneak shippers. This [ did
for two hours O. X. AS Col. Arnold, of
Princeton, would say: How they did
have to run to keep up with Began,
but it was Hustler that found first that
he was out of the sneak and running
with full scent and 1t seems L can hear
Lark now as his mule hit the rocks and
he FOLLOWING every jump to pull all the
dogs out OF the swamps to the front
dogs that were putting the belt on him
right. AS I stood on Ferguson Hill
last Saturday A M, 1 could think of so
many old hunters / wished could have
been besides me, Col. Been, Milton b.,
Jim D., Jno. M, Jim b., Cas- S., and so
many more old hunters. 1t was SO
smooth - not an out. A few quick,
clean fast tongues and q number of
heavy tongues, close up. They made a
few tacks, then off towards the old
Young brick house. l know our hoys'
horses were tired and how good l did
feel when ] heard our friend Cay Shan
o fall in with his nice saddle mare.
He knows every path in that section
job with him. l stood still in my track
till l could hear them no more. The
cry was so solid, only occasionally
would lull, just enough to distinguish
a cry or two | had all confidence in and
1t did seem to me when they struck a
road round those ridges they sent out q
melody far surprising any l ever heard.
1t made me wish every hunter on
earth was listening. They seem to
linger about Stomp Springs for the es-
pecial benefit Of the campers there and
then they were gone again. 1 slowly
rode on towards where I heard them
last In q deep soliloquy, meditating too
how different the varied pleasures of
earth are appreciated and how some
were endowed by nature to so enjoy
the cry of hounds, and others cared no
more for the sound they make than IL
a pack was tied to a post and some
who would like to war on them with a
buggy whip. reached camp and
found all In and feeling well, that
Shannon was after the dogs, and while
we talked, up he rode and stated he
had put him In q hole five miles away
and he would return at once and we
could come. So we were soon off and
sure he was in hole and it a sixty feet
den long and twenty-five feet deep.
But anyway at Go'clock Saturday night
we put the dogs on him and beyond
doubt he was the largest red fox I ever
saw, and but for his old e | do not
know IL he would not live today, but he
doesn't for | have his head and as nv
vacation Is out now will be content to
view 1t every good morn till .Xmas.
NINROn