chap. vii. SAGACITY OF A PARIAH DOG. 145 



at this moment my friend called to me that he had 

 wounded a buck, and that he had found the blood- 

 track. I picked a blade of grass from the spot which 

 was tinged with blood ; and holding it to the dog's 

 nose, he eagerly followed me to the track, upon which 

 I dropped it. He went off in a moment; but, running 

 mute, I was obliged to follow ; and after a chase of a 

 quarter of a mile I lost sight of him. In following up 

 the foot-track of the wounded deer I heard the dis- 

 tant barking of the dog, by which I knew that he had 

 brought the buck to bay, and I was soon at the spot. 

 The buck had taken up a position in a small glade, and 

 was charging the dog furiously ; but the pariah was 

 too knowing to court the danger, and kept well out of 

 the way. I shot the buck, and, tying a piece of jungle- 

 rope to the dog's neck, gave him to a gun-bearer to 

 lead, as I hoped he might be again useful in hunting 

 up a wounded deer. 



I had not proceeded more than half a mile, when 

 we arrived at the edge of a small sluggish stream, 

 covered in most places with rushes and water-lilies. 

 We forded this about hip-deep, but the gun-bearer 

 who had the dog could not prevail upon our mute 

 companion to follow ; he pulled violently back and 

 shrinked, and evinced every symptom of terror at the 

 approach of water. 



I was now at the opposite bank, and nothing 

 would induce him to come near the river, so I told 



