chap. vni. COMPARATIVE SPEED OF DEER. 101 



fly, and got his hold by the ear. So sudden was the 

 shock, that the buck turned a complete somersault, 

 but, recovering himself immediately, he regained his 

 feet, and started off at a gallop down hill towards a 

 stream, the dog still hanging on. In turning over in 

 his fall, the ear had twisted round, and Killbuck, never 

 having left his hold, was therefore on his back, in which 

 position he was dragged at great speed over the rugged 

 ground. Notwithstanding the difficulty of his position, 

 he would not give up his hold. In the meantime, 

 Bran kept seizing the other ear, but continually lost 

 his hold as the ear gave way. Killbuck's weight kept 

 the buck's head on a level with his knees ; and after 

 a run of some hundred yards, during the whole of 

 which, the dog had been dragged upon his back with- 

 out once losing his hold, the elk's pace was reduced to 

 a walk. With both greyhounds now hanging on his 

 ears, the buck reached the river, and he and the dogs 

 rolled down the steep bank into the deep water. I 

 came up just at this moment and killed the elk, but 

 both dogs were frightfully wounded, and for some time 

 I despaired of their recovery. 



This was an extraordinary feat in seizing ; but 

 Killbuck was matchless in this respect, and accord- 

 ingly of great value, as he was sure to retain his hold 

 when he once got it. This is an invaluable qualifica- 

 tion in a dog, especially with boars, as any uncertainty 

 in the dog's hold, renders the advance of the man 



