384 BISON AND BULL- DOGS. 



rag on to the brute's stem, the only part they could attack during- his 

 retreat through the thick undergrowth, whilst he struck at them with his 

 fore-paws. As soon as he saw me within ten feet of him he came straight 

 at me, and I was obliged to brain him with a shot. This was a pity, 

 as we had hoped to knife him. The other clogs came up at this moment, 

 and but for the contretemps there would have been a fair fight. Bismarck 

 was severely injured. A bite in the throat narrowly missed his windpipe, 

 and he was so roughly handled that he coidd not stand up for a day or 

 two. He, however, did many doughty deeds before his death, a year later, 

 from a kick by a stag sambur. Marquis and Viper were more or less 

 clawed, but not seriously. This bear weighed exactly 280 lb., or 20 st. 

 Our discomfiture was entirely owing to the dogs nut having been able to 

 get at the bear's head, and to their being separated. 



I have not had many fair chances at bison with my dogs. The soli- 

 tary bulls that lie out by themselves are the best animals to attack. 1 Buf- 

 falo might also be hunted in this way in many parts of Bengal and other 

 places where they are found. When it is considered with what ease one 

 good dog can pull down the largest tame buffalo or bullock, it may easily be 

 imagined that a bison or wild buffalo has no chance against three or four. 

 His enormous power is of no avail to him against such pigmy antagonists. 

 A less powerful but more active animal would stand an infinitely better 

 chance of escape by shaking them off, and betaking itself to flight, than does 

 a bison. 



In approaching bison or buffalo, and in fact all animals, with dogs, 

 it is necessary that the men keep out of sight if possible, as many animals 

 will stand to fight dogs which make off at once if they suspect the presence 

 of man. When the dogs have got to work their master may put in an 

 appearance. From what I have seen on occasions such as the following, 

 I have no hesitation in stating my opinion that four good dogs should 

 hold any bison or buffalo so that it may be hamstrung. 



It was on the 30th August 1876 that I started from Poonjoor with a 

 strong pack in search of bison. There were seven couples in all, of which 

 Bill Sykes, Bismarck, Turk, Tiger, and Lady were the seizers, and the rest 

 were finders. Some of the latter were quite plucky enough to join the 

 attack when an animal was seized by the big dogs. The seizers were in 

 single leashes, the others in couples, so that I had some ten men with me 

 leading them, in addition to the trackers. As we could not find a solitary 

 bull's track we followed a herd. 



We came on the bison in bamboo-cover after two hours' tracking. The 

 finders were all slipped at them, but the seizers were kept in leash till one of 



