The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-11-15
HUMAN HOUNDS.
Mexican indians Who Are Trained to
Act aU Setter Doqs.

the ordinary Englishman, but that
particular form of sport is not com.
mon in Mexico. Recently an English
man spent a few days hunting in the
country, and it was left for hecien-
dado to show him a new side of the
sport of shooting. He was introduced
to the human hounds. On those haci-
endas where the owner occasionally
goes hunting the sport is not taken as
seriously as it is by Anglo-Saxons.
Your average Mexican believes in
getting enjoyment out of his morning
of shooting, and he is reasonable
enough to know that fair proportion
of this sport is lost if he tries himself
out as does the average man of the
United States or of England.
ut was ducks we were going after
that morning." said the man in tell
ing the story of the human hounds.
"Breakfasted little earlier than
usual, but no hurry was INDUCED in
after that meal After all one doesn't
add to the enjoyment of the day by
boiling hurriedly gotten breakfast
at an unholy hour. When we we're
ready to start hunting roadster with
a reputation for some speed was driv-
en- up, and in the smart rig the animal
drew we were driven down the road.
1t was only mile, but there was no
use walking when we could ride. Ar
riyinO n tho riunr xrhnrn tho lnRkc
were expected to be, the haciendado
raised his hand and out of the grass
there came from somewhere a peon
who took charge of the horse.
I'VE began to hunt. For a time
there was nothing about the proceed
ing that was different from what one
undergoes in the name of sport in the
United States. We crawled through
the overhanging bushes, looking for
the ducks. Occasionally they were
found, and then we took our shots
and picked up our own ducks-when
we got any. We did this for about
half an hour, and had passed con-
siderable distance out of sight of the
rig in which we had been driven to
the river. The haciendado remarked
that he thought we had better stop
now and take the horses.
"He stepped out Of the brush and
passed down the bank to the road
that extended along the river. He
whistled and in less than half min
ute UP trotted two Indians, leading
two handsome horses. We will get
on the horses and let these fellows
find the ducks for us. No, you had
better let him carry that for you, if
it's too heavy He was talking about
my gun. He was probably afraid |
would shoot him if attempted to ride
the horse and handle the gun at the
same time. | was willing enough to
let the Indian take the gun, for 1t was
getting heavy, and I couldn't imagine
that l would have any use for it if
we were not going to hunt.
"Those Indians, at a word from the
haciendado, took our places in the
brush and began gazing up the river.
Parting the twigs and boughs os care
fully as any pair of dogs, they began
to search for signs of ducks, while we
rode along the path at the foot of the
embankment looking for anything but
ducks. Suddenly one of the creeping
Indians stopped, drew backward on
Of the bushes and silently signalled
us that the ducks were just ahead.
The two stealthily crept down the en-
bankment and seized our bridal reins.
The haciendado ordered me down and
the Indian handed me my gun. We
took the places Of the men in the
bushes, and, as the ducks rose, took
our shots. The haciendado got his
duck. 1t fell in the water, wounded.
AS it began foundering toward the
opposite bank he signalled one of the
Indians, and into the water the man
went. No retriever knew what was
expected better than he. He half
swan and half waded to the side
where the duck was waddling in the
brush, and brought back to us the
wounded bird.
"The next day we went rabbit shoot
ing We were accompanied by anoth-
er Indian. 1t sounds little crazy,
but the old fellow-he was old-actu-
ally seemed to trail rabbits. He
would discover the sign of one Of the
animals and then, with head forward
and eyes watching the ground. he
would start zigzag course that in
variably wound up at some clump or
grass or brush from which the ami
NAL was started. Occasionally he
would stop stock still beside a little
bunch of brush, for all the world like
a setter dog, and quietly declare that
there was a rabbit in it. Look as
closely as we would we could see nc
sign of rabbit, but as the Indian tap.
ped the brush out would run the rab.
Herald.