AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
among them, was requested to take his stand first, which 
he complied with, and with the report of his gun the pa- 
per dropped. “ Drove the nail,”’ cried the judges, or the 
persons stationed at the target. ‘* Altogether an accident,” 
replied the shooter, and the paper wasrestored again. A 
Mr. Lucas, a Blue Mountain yankee, took the stand next. 
‘This gentleman is considered the best shot in the 
county,’’ said one of his companions, and the result shows 
that he is no ‘* §Zowch.’?? He fired, and buried the ball 
in the upper edge of the paper, which I send you. The 
others took their turn, but although all came within an 
inch of the paper, no one struck it; and the stranger again 
entered the stand for a second shot. The result you will 
find in the lower edge of the paper. When this shot was 
announced, an old gentleman, (a German,) standing near 
méfleried out to his companion, who was at the hundred 
yard station—“Jake! Jake! by hoky that city feller 
shoots like tamnation.’’ The others fired, and the “ city 
feller’’ took the stand for the third time; the mark of this 
ball you will find in the centre of the paper, a little to the 
left of the first shot. Lucas followed and put his balla 
little to the left of those in the centre. The whole shoot- 
ing was good. The entire space did not occupy more 
than four inches in diameter. 
The generous hospitality that was offered to the stran- 
ger is also deserving of notice. When the wind blew they 
would call to him to hold up, and carefully pointed out 
every thing that was calculated to operate against him. 
Such other marks of kindness were exhibited, as clearly 
showed to me, that those people, though rough in exterior, 
and uncouth in speech and habit, knew and cultivated those 
feelings which entitle them to our veneration and respect; 
without envy they saw a competitor who rivalled and as- 
tonished them; without prejudice they acknowledged and 
proclaimed it. M! J: 
November 27, 1832. 
From the American Turf Register. 
HUNTING THE WILD CAT IN NORTH CARO- 
LINA. 
Mr. Eprror: 
We have a species of game with us, which I believe is 
peculiar to this section of country—at least I see no men- 
tion made of it in your excellent magazine, where I have 
met with descriptions of every other variety of hunting. 
And yet, the Wild Cat will afford the huntsman as much 
191 
sport, and the hounds as much work, as any other animal 
that I ever followed. Indeed it requires a staunch and 
numerous pack to take them, for even when run toastand 
still—no easy work by the by—they are enabled from 
their great strength and ferocity, to keep five or six dogs 
at bay, without difficulty. 
The Wild Cat is much larger, and infinitely stronger 
than the grey fox, (the red not being an inhabitant of our 
woods, I know nothing of.) It is about as fleet as the 
common fox, but as it confines its run to very strong and 
thick covers, the chase lasts much longer than that of the 
fox. And being, in addition to all this, a terrible enemy 
to the farm-yard, taking off pigs, poultry, lambs, and some- 
times even grown sheep, our sportsmen, who are all far- 
mers, pursue them with inveterate industry. Invited by 
the flattering appearance of the weather last week, Mr. 
W. and myself determined to give our dogs a trial. We 
accordingly rode to cover on Saturday morning, with six 
couple of as fine dogs as ever followed deer, fox, or Wild 
Cat. It was our first turn out this season—the whole pack 
was, consequently, full of riot, and the young dogs in par- 
ticular, were perfectly frantic. The morning was as auspi- 
cious as we could wish—the dog fennel and pine bushes 
hung droopingly, overloaded with dew. It was quite cool, 
clear as a bell, and so perfectly calm, that the joyous notes 
of the dogs, as they gambolled in wild excitement before 
us, or leaped up fawningly upon our horses, were heard 
to re-echo over the distant Neuse. After leaving the 
river a little to the right, we threw off the hounds into a 
very promising cover, on the north side of Smith’s Creek. 
Here we had not proceeded very long, when old Drum- 
mer told us, that some prowler had been passing, during 
the night. The scent was very cold, and we worked it 
slowly and with difficulty, along the windings of the creek; 
frequently interrupted by the outbursts of the young dogs, 
after rabbits, &e. By dint of whipping and scolding, we 
succeeded in bringing these last under some subjection. 
The trail still appearing very cold, we made a east on the 
opposite bank of the creek, but with no better success. 
The game had been there, but it must have been very 
early, on the previous evening. In the mean time, old 
Drummer had got back to his old trail, and continued to 
work it with untiring perseverance. The drag appearing 
to grow warmer, we concluded to hark the other dogs to 
him. Echo and Rover soon gave tongue, Macduff and 
Nimrod joined in. Still our best fox dog, old Milton, 
refused to recognize the trial as legitimate; we were now 
sure of the nature of our game; it must be a Wild Cat. 
Wecontinued to encourage the dogs with increased anxiety. 
At last, all of them, young and old, acknowledged the 
trail, and growing into a confirmed drag, it proceeds 
® 
