chap. xi. A LONG RUN WITH A BUCK. 261 



river where the bitch could get a footing, and she 

 dashed across it to the attack. The buck met her in 

 her advance by a sudden charge, which knocked her 

 over and over, but at the same instant Valiant, who is 

 a fine, powerful dog, made a clever spring forward and 

 pinned the buck by the ear. There was no shaking 

 him off, and he was immediately backed up by Plough- 

 boy, who caught the other ear most cleverly. There 

 the two dogs hung like ear-rings as the buck, rearing 

 up, swung them to and fro, but could not break their 

 hold. In another moment the greyhounds were upon 

 him — the whole pack covered him ; his beautiful form 

 was seen alternately rearing from the water with the 

 dogs hanging upon him in all directions, then strug- 

 gling in a confused mass nearly beneath the surface of 

 the stream. He was a brave fellow, and had fought 

 nobly, but there was no hope for him, and we put an 

 end to the fight with the hunting-knife. 



It was past four o'clock P.M., and he had been found 

 at seven A.M., but the conclusion fully repaid us for 

 the day's work. The actual distance run by the buck 

 was not above eight miles, but we had gone about 

 twenty during the day, the greater portion of which 

 was over most fatiguing ground. 



On an open country an elk would never be caught 

 without greyhounds until he had run fifteen or twenty 

 miles. The dense jungles fatigue him as he ploughs 

 his way through them, and thus forms a path for the 



