78 EEMIMSCEKCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



CHAP. XXXVT. 



THE BLOOD-HOUXD. — THE DEER-HOtTND. — A CHASE. 



" His snuifiing nose, Iiis active tail. 

 Attest his joy ; then with deep opening mouth, 

 That makes the welkin tremble, he proclaims 

 Th' audacious felon : foot by foot he marks 

 His winding way, while all the listening crowd 

 Applaud his reasonings. O'er the watery ford, 

 By sandy heaths, and stony barren hills, 

 O'er beaten paths, with mire and beasts distain'd. 

 Unerring he pursues : till at the cot 

 An'iv'd, and seizing by his guilty thi-oat 

 The caitiff vile, redeems the captive prey : 

 So exquisitely delicate his sense!" — Somerville. 



In former times these noble dogs were also called 

 "slough dogs," in consequence of their being able to 

 follow the scent over sloughs, mosses, and bogs in pur- 

 suit of offenders called moss-troopers. They were 

 employed for this purpose so late as the reign of 

 James I. It is one of the largest species of this dog, 

 some having measured even to twenty-eight inches to 

 the top of the shoulder. They are beautifully formed, 

 and have a very intelligent countenance. During the 

 latter part of the last century the blood-hound was 

 employed in the island of Jamaica in hunting down 

 the Maroon rebels in the mountainous district of that 



