42 ATTACK OF INDIAN DOGS. 



bush residence were conclusive evidence that two or 

 three persons at most claimed this for their camp. 



For more than half -an -hour I remained in am- 

 bush, but not a vestige could I see of the owners. 

 Several times the dogs got lip, stretched themselves, 

 and took an observation of the immediate vicinity ; 

 causing me on one occasion much alarm, lest I should 

 be discovered : the larger of the brutes actually came 

 within thirty or forty yards of my hiding-place. 



The person or persons, however, who I supposed 

 resided at this spot, were evidently away hunting, 

 for all around was in a state of repose. No sound 

 broke the solitude, except the plaintive note of the 

 peabiddy bird or the hammering of a woodpecker on 

 a neighbouring tree. Commencing to feel uneasy at 

 the delay, I repeated mentally the proverb about 

 ' patience and perseverance/ and argued with myself 

 on the necessity of being cautious. However, I was 

 soon recalled from this intellectual amusement by 

 both dogs springing to their feet and rushing towards 

 my left, with anything but anger in their manner 

 or ferocity in their bark. 



Very little over pistol-range from where I was 

 secreted they halted, and evinced every demon- 

 stration of joy. What did this mean ? In altering 

 my position, and straining my eyes to learn the 

 cause, I betrayed my presence to the curs, who in a 

 moment rushed at me with the impetuosity and 

 savageness of a brace of fiends. However, I had 

 little to fear from their attack, but a great deal to 



