THE OOTACAMUND HOUNDS. 163 



rather than encounter a pack to whom rumour assigned all the 

 fiercest qualities of Cuban bloodhounds. So the public were all 

 agape to witness something novel and spicy for themselves ; 

 nor were they doomed to be altogether disappointed, though 

 every precaution had been taken by those most concerned to 

 avert any catastrophe and invite success. Twelve couple of 

 trusty hounds had been told off to represent the kennel on the 

 occasion ; but in a hapless moment it was determined that a 

 more orthodox and imposing appearance would be presented by 

 some slight increase of numbers. Thus, against better convic- 

 tion, and again swayed by the luckless necessity of currying the 

 favour of subscribers present and problematical, two more 

 couple were drawn to swell the parade. These consisted of two 

 puppies, who, instead of taking part in the recent riots, had 

 shown, by remaining timidly at horses' heels, that they required 

 encouragement ; of a hound whose chief fault lay in the plebeian 

 appearance of his unrounded ears, which it was hoped might 

 pass unnoticed in the mob ; and of a recent importation named 

 Statesman. The last was a hound recently imported, of fine 

 appearance, and of a countenance so meek as almost to lead to 

 the belief that butter could not melt in his mouth, nor had he 

 been noticed as taking any very prominent part in the disturb- 

 ances aforesaid. 



The precautionary hour of 6 A.M. having also been fixed for 

 the meet, prevented anything like a large assemblage. But 

 why dwell on the sad history ? Ill-fortune prevented a find 

 for the first hour of search, until Statesman espied a buffalo 

 calf in the distance, and gave instant chase, being in his turn 

 pursued by the cow with an agonised bellowing that brought on 

 the whole of the herd to her assistance. Screams that might 

 have been heard from end to end of the Belvoir Vale rose from 

 the Toda herdsman, and, unable to resist the excitement any 

 longer, the whole pack soon broke away into the valley, leaving 

 their huntsman in a frame of mind in which tearing of the hair 

 would have been no solace, and murder the only alleviation. 

 He spoke not, neither did he once apply his horn to the 



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