458 DOG TRIBE 



only stopped by firing. Under ordinary circumstances, however, they 

 never venture to attack a human being. Although partly nocturnal in 

 habits, they usually do their hunting in the evening or early morning, 

 although I have heard them pursuing impala at midnight. The 

 greatest enmity exists between domesticated dogs and these bush- 

 pirates ; the presence of the latter seeming to incite the former to 

 frantic rage, although I have never seen a dog able to cope single- 

 handed with these powerful-jawed creatures. Hunting-dogs are terribly 

 destructive, not only to domesticated animals but also to game ; far 

 more so, indeed, than are either lions or leopards. More than once I 

 have seen them sweep through a flock of goats, tearing and mangling 

 its members in an incredibly short space of time. 



" They hunt in packs, two or three, or sometimes only a single 

 one, doing the running ; these being relieved at intervals by others 

 from the pack, and then at once falling back. I once witnessed these 

 dogs pull down (though the words inaccurately describe what occurred) 

 a big waterbuck, which raced out of the bush, and along an open 

 river-bank towards my camp, whence I saw the chase capitally. When 

 first sighted, three dogs were running in at intervals and snapping 

 at the buck ; the rest of the pack — eighteen or twenty — being fully 

 30 yards behind. Within 150 yards of the camp the buck turned 

 suddenly into the tall reeds towards the river, closely followed by the 

 dogs, when I ran along the bank in the hope of witnessing a final 

 struggle in the water. To my surprise, however, about 200 yards 

 beyond, the buck came back up the bank (the dogs evidently having 

 headed it from the water) running very groggily, and lathered with 

 sweat. There were now three dogs on each flank, snapping furiously 

 at frequent intervals ; and I could distinctly hear the clash of their 

 jaws every now and then as they missed their spring. Suddenly the 

 waterbuck stood, wheeled round, lowered his head as if to strike, and 

 then fell exhausted amongst the fierce pack. Each barrel of my rifle 

 accounted for a dog, and with some difficulty I drove the other brutes 

 away, and then killed the waterbuck, which was fearfully mangled. 



" On a second occasion I nearly witnessed a kudu being hunted to 

 death in a similar manner ; the dogs — twelve or fourteen in number 

 — chasing the animal to within 100 yards of my position, two biting 

 on one flank and three on the other. Unfortunately I was unable to 

 get up in time to see the kudu actually fall, though I saw the dust of 

 the scuffle, and therefore cannot say whether he was pulled down or 

 fell from exhaustion. Waterbuck and kudu are, however, not fighters 

 like the sable antelope ; and the instance related by Mr. Selous of a 



