52 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



on to your dogs . come on quietly ! Steady, boy ! steady ! 

 steady !" 



Bursting almost with impatience, I haTe great trouble to 

 hold back my rabble, for we must get close before Milo is 

 hied on, so as to hare a fair run of it. 



" Steady, boy ! steady ! Hold back there Dick, you ras- 

 cal ! hold the dogs ! Steady, old boy !" 



I can see the point of his tail shaking, and his ears quiver 

 with restrained excitement. We are in ten steps, now 

 for it ! 



"Hie on, boy!" One long bound — he plunges beneath 

 the snow amidst the briars ! — one breathless moment ! there 

 she is ! 



From beneath his very feet she bursts through the pow- 

 dered snow, and shaking it from her fur, at one leap she is clear 

 upon the firm crust, and after slipping up once or twice, makes 

 steadily off. 



Such a burst of yells, yelps and screeches ! Such a jumble- 

 together, helter, skelter, heels-in-the-air start as we make of 

 it. I, little dogs, negroes and all ! such falls, and such trip- 

 ping up ! such crackling and crashing ! Now the little dogs, 

 that have at first slipped up and rolled over each other, all 

 in a yelling heap; gather their legs together and stretch away 

 with fierce cries after poor molly-cotton, who is going off like 

 a bird, with her black shadow on the snow. 



We are wild, frantic with the excitement, and whoop and 

 screech as if tearing out our very lungs, as we follow, throwing 

 each other down in the jostle, and leaving soon the smallest 

 ones far behind. 



" They are closing on her ! she slips up ! Whoop ! 

 hurrah !" 



" Golly ! dat's Snap ! yah ! yah ! he de dog !" 



" You Pomp, dat's my Sanch ! you nigger, dat's no 



Snap ! Da, now ! he got her !" 



