2S0 Fu.vMv Foi; ester's field sports. 



lunges and passes when he strikes or charges, and falling on 

 again the instant he turns again to fly. To this cm], doubtless, the 

 Scotch Terrier, or even the half-Scotch half-Bull Teirier, would 

 prove an excellent coadjutor ; but, although this gallant little 

 dog has powers of scenting equal almost to anything, and very 

 considerable speed, with immense endurance — as every one 

 knows who has ridden to a pack of English Foxhounds, and 

 seen the little Terriers never lagging above half a field behind 

 the pack, even when running on a breast-high scent, and inva- 

 riably up at the shortest check — I should doubt their having 

 tongue enough to 'Vive note to the hunters of the course of the 

 quarry through the tangled and pathless canebrakes. It is by 

 the music of the jiack alone that the riders or runners are 

 guided, as the hounds are rarely or never in view until the 

 brute is brought to bay, and he is often bayed many times be- 

 fore they can get a shot at him. 



I do not see, however, why a cry of Terriers, with two or 

 three of the old, deep-tongued Southern Hounds in company, 

 which \V(jukl follow on the traces of the fleeter little ones, and 

 make the whole forests resound with their deep-tongued hamiony, 

 might not answer all purposes and meet all contingencies. 



Still it is desirable to have a dog or two, along with the rest, 

 who does not lack courage enough to charge home on occasion, 

 as on their doing so, in case of a rifle missing fire at close quar- 

 ters, or a knife-blow being parried, it may be that the life of 

 the hunter may depend. 



The dog now most in use, and considered the best combina- 

 tion for all contingencies, is a treble ci-oss of the Hound, the 

 Bulldog, and the ordinary yellow, sharp-nosed cur Watch-dog. 

 This is the Bear-hound proper of Arkansas and Louisiana. 



In the former of these countries, this sport is chiefly pursued 

 on foot ; in the latter, especially in the great Mississippi swamp, 

 on horseback ; for a genuine and highly graphic account of which 

 see Porter's Hawker, pp. 300, 339, 



In the former, the long, ponderous, clumsy rifle, with the 

 small ball, is the most commonly -used weapon. In the latter. 



