spotted
beasts of doubtful breed, called "houn's" by courtesy; long legged,
sleepy watch-dogs from the "quarters," brindled or "yaller" mongrels,
which even courtesy could not term other than "kyur dogs"; sharp-voiced
"fises," busier than bees, hunting like fury, as if they expected to
find rats in every tuft of grass; and, when the hares got up, bouncing
and bobbing along, not much bigger than the "molly cottontails" they
were after, getting in everyone's way and receiving sticks and stones
in profusion, but with their spirits unbroken. And all these were in one
incongruous pack, growling, running, barking, ready to steal, fight, or
hunt, whichever it happened to be.
We used to have hunts on Saturdays, just we boys, with perhaps a black
boy or two of our particular cronies; but the great hunt was "in the
holidays"--that is, about Christmas. Then all the young darkies about
the place were free and ready for sport.
This Christmas hunt was an event.
II
It was the year 186--, and, Christmas-day falling on a Sunday, Saturday
was given as the first day of the holidays. It had been a fine Fall;
the cover was good, and old hares were plentiful. It had been determined
some time before Christmas that we would have a big hare-hunt on that
day, and the "boys"--that is, the young darkies--came to the house from
the quarters, prepared for the sport, and by the time breakfast was over
they were waiting for us around the kitchen door.
Breakfast was always late about Christmas time; perhaps, the spareribs
and sausages and the jelly dripping through a blanket hung over the legs
of an upturned table accounted for it; and on, this Christmas eve it was
ten by the tall clock in the corner of the dining-room before we were
through.
When we came out, the merry darkies were waiting for us, grinning and
showing their shining teeth, laughing an-