Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-05-05

show at some of these dogs. he will
kill them sure" And so 1t went.
The moon was obscured by heavy
clouds and except for two lanterns 1t
was d. .Tcult to see. The lanterns hap
pened to be in the hands OF the two
most enthusiastic hunters in the par
ty-Mr. Wray and Elmer Stephenson,
and some of the others found 1t quite
task to keep up with them. But
they had to. The prospect Of getting
lost i'm such an unpenetrable thicket
was not pleasant, and then again
some felt that the closer they stuck
to the lights, the less the danger Of
running afoul of the big cat. There
were In the party some who counted
that a contingency that might not
prove pleasant.
While the participants in the some
what unusual hunt were getting ac-
customed to the situation and sur
roundings, the dogs were busy
working splendidly. Presently there
was a shrill, long drawn yelp, followed
an instant later by another, and then
a dozen answering yelps that included
every pitch in the gamut. They've
got up a rabbit" said one of the hum
ters disgustedly. No" answered an
lUdl 10 Jill OliHi IL oiA
he don't run rabbits" But already
the short quick yelps Of each dog In
the pack was making a chorus that set
the hunters wild. It took good legs
now and utter disregard of brambles
bushes, bitches and swamps to keep
up with the lanterns. With the music
moving up a thickly wooded hollow
and the hunters following and shout
ing like mad, the situation was eX-
citing in the extreme.
But all this lasted but a few min
utes. Suddenly the yelps that had
been moving straight forward like ar
avalanche. seemed to have been con-
verted into a whirlpool. There was
no subsistence in the noise. Indeed II
seemed to become flercer II possible
but 1t was no longer moving. They've
bayed him." was the shout from q
dozen voices, and there was another
mad rush in the direction of the in
spring sound. The rush led into
thick underbrush across boggy
swamp and ended in a clump Of ce-
dars. The dogs were gathered around
small cedar, barking like mad ano
making frantic efforts to climb into
its branches.
The hunters with the lanterns
lly W pSSA AhNc $50
thick foliage of the trees: but nothing
could be seen, and when 1t was learn
ed that there was no axe available
general disappointment followed
Presently Jim Jackson began scaling
the tree, regardless Of warnings as tC
what might happen should he meet
the cat coming down. He'll rip your
head open, Jim," somebody shouted
"If he starts this way, I'll beat him tc
the ground" was Jim's reply, as he
continued to climb. But the cat was
not up that tree, and following sup
position that the animal had gone
across into another big cedar adjoin-
ing, Mr.. Wray climbed 1t with the same
result. In the meantime some boys
returned with an axe for which they
had been sent, and 1t was decided tc
cut the trees ito satisfy the dogs
The dogs were held while the trees
were being cut and were allowed tc
run I'm among the fallen branches
adding to the excitement and Zest.
After a few minutes, one of the
dogs belonging to John Hunter opened
on a fresh trail and then almost In
stantly the pack was running agair
as II had before; but still more com.
pactly and with better music. TIT
hunters gave utterance to wild shouts
by way of encouraging the dogs. ant
seemed to be growing wild until Mr.
d. M. Hall began to beg them to lei
up. Hush boys, hush. Listen to the
music while you've got g. chance
You can do your hollering tomorrow
When Mr.. Hall succeeded In making
himself understood the hollering SUD
sided; but the race continued; through
the woods, across plowed field doWr
- ronnh ond n.
nallv there was silence.
They've lost the trail" was the an
nouncement. and everybody began tC
drop into an attitude of expectation
When last heard the dogs were
quarter of a mile away, and now ev'
erything was still. The yelping OF
hound away off in the distance
brought forth a command to hush
Everybody hushed. That's a house
dog" was the final judgment Of ont
of the old timers and the verdict wal
accepted. After a while the silence
began to pail, and the hunters begaI
to squat around the lanterns and tall
it over. IF you want that cat again,
remarked one, you might get MN
with a nice, good steel trap" Wel
have another race next week., salC
another. It Is an all night job agreed
>,
vert to the first striking OF the tran
the freeing in the cedars, and how
much finer race that cat had giVer
than Is to be had out of an ordinary
fox.
After about ten minutes, one of the
dogs opened again, and answers came
from all parts of the thickets. Hounds
were securing here and there to
common centre in less than minute
the old stream of music was renewed
in full volume rushing along down
deep ravine. Most Of the hunters
were already on their feet following
the direction Of the chase, while otn-
ers remained scattered about In the
grass until the pack began TO senc
word that II had the cat up another
tree.
This time the dogs were gathered
around a big poplar, with the firs'
limb fifty feet from the ground. A
council of war developed that most ol
the hunters believed that 1t was I'M
possible that the cat should be up the
poplar. Mr.. Wray, however, was Ger
tain that he could see the animal or
q high limb, and 1t was decided thai
the tree be cut. The work took near
ly a quarter Of an hour and the dog'
which had been held in the meantime
were turned loose as soon as the tree
struck the ground. They went into
the branches of the big trees like shots
out Of a gun, and were hot after the
cat almost instantly.
The race was now a very hot one
The older hunters said that the ca,
was in sight of the dogs. The chase
led up the hollow and then back
again. In less than a minute the cal
had been treed about 200 yards fur
ther on. He was up small ash, and
now everybody could see him. The
excitement of the hunters had waxed
to its highest pitch. The tree was
cut, the dogs were turned In and
again the race was started; but 1t did
not last so long this time. One bunch
of dogs had correctly followed the
course Of the cat, and another bunch
that had gone in the opposite direc-
ton, corrected its bearing and came
back. The cat had also circled back
to the starting point. Dan Mitchell
who had helped cut the tree, hal
Jumped on the stump, and the two
packs of hounds came up on the cat
right beneath his feet. Mr.. Wray was
only fifteen or twenty feet off with his
lantern, and several others near by
had a plain view Of the finish.
The dogs went right In without hes