A WILD-CAT HUNT IN CAROLINA. 165 



cluster ; the scent breast high ; the whole field 

 keeping close in their rear, and animating them by 

 their shouts. " Have a care ! ride not too close ! cross 

 mt the track! fair play for the hounds, and they 

 will work it out. Now, rein in your horse along 

 with me. Do you note the tone of the cry ? It is 

 not with such a tone they pursue a deer. I have 

 blown off my hounds from a chase, on no better 

 authority than the key on which they pitched their 

 cry. This cry is not prompted by the instinct of 

 hunger it breathes hatred, antipathy ! Look at 

 "Wormwood there, the rascal ! how his hair bris- 

 tles on his back what venom in his tones ! and, 

 let me tell you (take care of that stump), I have 

 observed some packs, that run but upon two legs, 

 eager, like this, to rend and destroy, who betrayed, 

 by the tone of their cry, that their motive and their 

 cue to action, w r as just as hound-like ! But see, 

 they push for the wood. He has tried a turn 

 among the saw palmettoes to perplex the scent. It 

 won't do; they trail him out through the open 

 field to the river-skirt! There we must have 

 him!" 



The ground on which the cat had sheltered him- 

 self, was a narrow thicket on the margin of the 

 marsh. Briers and saw palmettoes covering the 

 surface, made it very uncomfortable for the hounds 



