2 Mara s fittest Mode of Defence against 



sary*s claws and teeth with redoubled vengeance. Many 

 years ago, Colonel DufF, in India, was laid low by the stroke 

 of a Bengal tiger. On coming to himself, he found the animal 

 standing over him. Recollecting that he had his dirk by his 

 side, he drew it out of the case, in the most cautious manner 

 possible, and, by one happy thrust quite through the heart, 

 he laid the tiger dead at his side. 



I will here mention a trivial row I once had with two dogs. 

 It will tend to prove the advantage of standing up manfully, 

 when attacked by animals of the canine tribe ; and I will con- 

 clude with recounting an adventure with a lion, perhaps un- 

 paralleled in the annals of hunting. 



Towards the close of the year 1823, in passing over a com- 

 mon, I accidentally came upon two dogs. One of them was a 

 stout, ill-looking, uncouth brute, apparently of that genealogy 

 which dog-fanciers term half bull and half terrier ; the other 

 was an insignificant female cur. The dog immediately bristled 

 up ; and I had just time to take off my hat, and hold it shield- 

 wise, in self-defence, when he came on, and made directly at 

 it. I gave him a hearty kick under the breast, which caused 

 him to desist for a moment. But he stoutly renewed the 

 attack, which was continued for above five minutes ; he always 

 flying at the hat, and I regularly repeating my kicks, some- 

 times slightly, sometimes heavily, according to our relative 

 situations. In the mean time the female cur was assailing me 

 from behind ; and it was with difficulty that I succeeded in 

 keeping her clear of me, by means of swinging my foot back- 

 wards at her. At last, a lucky blow on her muzzle, from the 

 heel of my shoe, caused her to run away howling, and the dog 

 immediately followed her, just at the moment when two ma- 

 sons were coming up to assist me. Thus, by a resolute oppo- 

 sition, I escaped laceration. But this little affair is scarcely 

 worth relating, except that it affords a proof of the advantage 

 to be derived from resisting the attack of a dog to the utmost. 

 And now for the feline tribe. The story which I am about 

 to recount will show that nonresistance was the only plan to 

 be pursued, when escape from death seemed utterly hopeless. 

 The principals in this affair were a brave young British officer 

 and a full-grown lion of India. I was at Frankfort on the 

 Mayne in August last, and I heard the account from the 

 officer's own mouth. I shall never forget the affable and un- 

 assuming manner in which he related it to me. I repeatedly 

 urged him to allow me to put it on record, and, at the same 

 time, to make use of his name ; but I plainly saw that his 

 feelings were against his complying with my request, and I 

 think I should not have succeeded, had I not luckily brought 



