The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-29

into<t their eyes and there was les Of the
Quick leaping, each leap thrsatehng 10
throw them over the tops OF the trees.
The cat, indeed, had been within mile
OF the pack when It's trail was struck nae
heard the frs, bay Of the .s nGunq TniiHe the
deer, II 10 the habit Of the cat to do its oess
from the start, being anxious 70 put as
much space as possible between " anu I've
This one had almost immediately taken M,
course that would carry It out OF the swsinP
In a little while and into the pine lands 70
the north where there was more open rua-
ming. II did this because the pine mIos
being hilly and higher were dryer, anu and
cat hates water. so the Ehslneoi 80
the Journalist were able TO SAT up anu 'oo~
: The trees then were mingled pines. OAKS AIS
and aah trees but soon the oaks anu 81
trees disappeared and only pines we're ieI..
Under the hoofs was q carpet OF pto~n
needles The tree: sw twenty =, 1oon rev even for
, AZ for the woods horses. they made
nothing at all Of this sort Of going. lnsy
put their bellies six inches nearer W sw
ground and the brown earth roneo es'
The dir was vocal with the music OF the
pack, which seemed to be q auAT1SSe s
Of a mile ahead and 80 the rtgnt. ans
Engineer and the Journalist couid not ~
their companions, but thought noeiiit
ride got into their blood: the pace wa
smooth and they began rather 70 ianey
Themselves as cavaliers. The EnglheeI
even removed his hand from the pommsl,
but as he did 20 he swayed bsckwtIo anu anu
he reached for 1t again VioiehtV Hi'"
The course was up one hill and down
another and between each hill was sinan
space OF level land, sometimes SoNeie
with bushes and sometimes bare, Inc Ih 81
had no idea Of how long the cat woui1 De
able to hold its tremendous pace lney
only knew that they were being carried
along at the speed OF birds night ana 'ha'
The 7uil baying OF the pack came to them.
but they heard Il only at intervals. hney
had no feeling or hearing ior shy'nins
except their tearing course. "a.
they topped rise and swept Gown us
far side and noted with sudden sickenihg
terror that at the bottom was vice creek.
II looked to them to be fifty yards iron
bank to bank with current IKE et Ine eI sscs
wide and four feet deep. ,
II II had been Niagara's gorge, howeset
the woods horses would have tackleo ~
fearlessly.. Their great hearts were thump-
ing, every drop Of red blood IN them vss on
fire with the chase II was was t men Snsiness TO
~ a
catch the hounds they had never yet failso
To he In at q death IL IL was equinely
possible TO compass the feat; r..
Nose and nose they raced, not ten Ieet
apart. their pink nostrils naring. their ear
laid back, their shod hoofs spurning the
needles, and their riders were powerless
TO control them even il they had thought
Of IL. Like hawks the dun geiding unoer
the Engineer, and the powerful iittie biaSI
under the Journalist swooped down TO the
IN. IA rnga n M
above its smooth expanse and they landed
on the far bank. all four feet together, ahI
swung into their stride with beautiful
rhythm that would have joyed the heart
of any man who loves horsehesh:
vrse, erV the Engineer and his friend as
they shot over the creek and struck nrm
earth on the further side. finding themselves
still marvellously seated In the saddles
and going faster than ever. 1hey turned
their heads cautiously and looked, shoT
ing white drawn faces, to the Doctor, the
planter and the Farmer, who had leaPed
At the same instant and were speedine
parallel with them and thirty yards 10 the
left. The black and the dun had swerved
without their riders knowledge and swung
more directly into the path OF the dogs ana
so the hunters were joined
Raising the hill beyond the creek they saw
the last OF the dogs streaming over NIL
WAS drawing to ftS Sen sdr.. }Ratt re S'ese
pack to its qiarry that all sound had ceased.
II had no leisure or wind TO bay. II
had sighted the prey and was running
desperately. heads down.
Hounds differ much In speed, and At this
pace the pack vas strung out until Q good
Atty Yards interviewed between the leader
and the calender. an old dog, whose hunt .
ing days were nearly over. lie waboled
as he ran, but stuck to IL with the game
ness that had come to him from long iine
Of ancestors that used TO tear across the
Ride hardl' the Planter called. Wen
get him SOON
They dashed over the hill and down the
long slope. At the bottom was a grassy
sward. pale green With the first grecnness
OF spring. In its very centre stood hack
berry. a small tree not much more than q
saplins, thirty feet high and not much
more than six inches through.
The cat had reached IL. shot up it, trunk
with the swiftness OF light and was nov
perched upon q lateral branch. twenty feet
up, its back raised, its stif hairs standing
al right angles to It's neck, It's yellow eye
balls glaring down at Its bowling foes.
snarling ard splitting In terrified malevo-
lence. II was u the bobtail species with .
long, powerful body.
Nome Of these cats grow 20 great size In
the Louisiana wild lands and this was one
OF the largest. II seemed not unlike a
small panther. IL was. IN fact, ~ heavy
as . large dog, longer Ia the body. though
not 10 tail, and more than . match for any
dog no matter Of what breed. II was .
male, some four years old. In the full tide Of
strength, and liz curved claws were long
and shsrp II WAS badly brcatbed by IL
here's run, which had covered more than
three milss. but Il recovered raI,idly.
~ clos had be~n the chase that the
b~adno-i dog was on tho s~ard when the
cat struck the tres. The men eat On the
honres and hooked 81 II while the doss raked
bslow, FINALLY the Planter lssped dD~n
snd uBfasleaed his ake.
well so . hsLd noe worth talking
Al,osn,' he sad
No swung the srs sssinsa ths small tsss
aud II the .s.oDnd siroks . huge chip lesgsrd
oui. kylsisatly hs kns~ lis LvsiDes~
A. the Ass jsrcd tho Get stoucl.sd aud
ns.sr.sd sisoui 10 l.ap, lot ~sS the dosr
aud thouslli ts.itsf ~ 10
Tho houaas, .-.-d M -oTt s<esa~. snL.
dfss "a = sale di-tssses "a 10 tbs tss~ Tall
shd maa. f.'.s siiu' y - that ,l.sl a..
slla,sld hss. no dasDar "a s-sals IT, tis.s
,s.ln,li.s ilss tsss iIsmisls,d sild si,u.sk "a
IT, tsl,inisi ~ slsh Ai,sai.ss siiss1s ~
iso .i.s y sss,sd sisas''sssir ssd asnss
H.s 81 Jas.l<s l-<ess u L.a tales tss
f-.s. lsnass s'i,.assiy 40 il.s s.afd slsd
I.sl.aI ssag N had uls-i " ssslrs ID,
a a A.. Al - a. ~