FOREWORD xvii 



experiences are literally inexplicable with our 

 present knowledge ; and therefore it is all the 

 more valuable to have them recorded. Mr. Selous' 

 own account of the speed of wild dogs and the 

 statements of many competent observers about 

 cheetahs — as for instance, of that mighty hunter, 

 Sir Samuel Baker — make it clear that under 

 ordinary circumstances both wild dogs and cheetahs, 

 when running after their game, go at a speed far 

 surpassing that of a horse. Yet in these instances 

 given by Mr. Selous, he and his companions with 

 their camp dogs once fairly ran down a pack of 

 wild dogs ; and twice he fairly ran down full-grown 

 cheetahs. In the last case it is possible that the 

 hunted cheetah, not at first realizing his danger, did 

 not put forth his full speed at the beginning, and, 

 not being a long-winded animal, was exhausted and 

 unable to spurt when he really discovered his peril. 

 But with the hunting dogs it is hard to imagine any 

 explanation unless they were gorged with food. In 

 coursing wolves with greyhounds, I have noticed 

 that the dogs will speedily run into even an old dog 

 wolf, if he is found lying by a carcase on which he 

 has feasted, under conditions which would almost 

 certainly have insured his escape if he had been in 

 good running trim. I once saw a cougar, an old 

 male, jump from a ledge of rock surrounded by 

 hounds and come down hill for several hundred 

 yards thru the snow. The hounds started almost 

 on even terms with him, but he drew away from 

 them at once, and when he reached the bottom of 

 the hill, was a good distance ahead ; but by this 

 time he had shot his bolt, and after going up hill 

 for a very few yards he climbed into a low ever- 

 green tree, which I reached almost as soon as the 

 hounds. His lungs were then working like bellows, 

 and it was obvious he could have gone no distance 

 further. 



