NATURAL HISTORY. 



51 



THE BLOODHOUND. 



There are several varieties of this animal, inhabiting Cuba, 

 Africa, and England. They all are endowed with a wonder- 

 fully acute sense of smell, and can trace a man or animal 

 with almost unerring certainty. The Cuban Bloodhound was 

 formerly employed by the Spaniards to hunt down the 

 natives while endeavouring to escape from their invasions. 

 A few years since, one of these dogs saved the life of its 

 master, an American hunter, by boldly attacking a puma 

 which had sprung on him in the darkness, and was lacerating 

 him in a dreadful manner. The sagacious animal had been 

 tied up at home, but apparently knowing the dangers of the 

 forests through which his master was about to pass, he broke 

 his chain, and arrived barely in time to save the hunter from 

 a horrible death. 



The English Bloodhound is frequently mentioned by the 

 older historians. Bruce was repeatedly chased by blood- 

 hounds, and at one time he was so closely pressed that he 

 barely escaped by leaping into a brook, and wading a con- 

 siderable distance up the stream, knowing that running 

 water would not retain the scent. The bloodhounds led his 

 pursuers as far as the place where he entered the water, but 

 the stratagem of Bruce baffled them, and the pursuit was 



