220 GAME. 



officers, by whom he was called Polly for short. Polly 

 was devoted to the dogs, and came up with tears in his 

 eyes, and many reproaches to the officer who fired the 

 unlucky shot. We could hear the fight going on in the 

 bowels of the earth. ' Some of the dogs 'ill be killed,' 

 said Polly to the officer, 6 and it 'ill be all your fault.' 

 Still the fight went on, the growls of the combatants 

 being interspersed with an occasional yell of pain as some 

 dog got into the jaws of the enemy. Polly became more 

 and more excited, yelling, swearing, and crying by turns 

 or together. At last a piteous yelp was heard as from a 



dog in its last agony. ' He's a killin' Lucy, by ,' 



screamed Polly, with a ferocious glare at the offending 

 officer ; and, throwing off his coat, he, without a word 

 of notice, pushed himself into the hole, which at the 

 entrance was barely large enough for him to crawl in on 

 his belly. He disappeared all but the soles of his boots, 

 but in an instant was seen to work himself backward. 

 We seized his feet and helped him all we could, and in a 

 moment or two got him out dragging a dog by the hind 

 leg. Again and again he went in, each time bringing out 

 a dog, until only the favourite bitch, Lucy, remained in 

 the den. The cave widened out and became considerably 

 larger inside than at the entrance ; the fighting animals 

 were constantly changing positions ; there was not a 

 particle of light when Polly was in the entrance, and he 

 had to get hold of each dog by feeling, at the risk of a 

 bite from panther or dog. It was too dangerous ; and we 

 tried to prevent his going in for the last dog, preferring 

 to leave her to her fate, and had almost persuaded him 

 when a most piteous wail from Lucy sent him in again. 

 After what seemed an age of waiting, his feet were seen 

 struggling towards the entrance. Seizing them, we 

 dragged him out with some difficulty ; but, though he 

 held firmly by the leg of the dog, he could not get her 

 out. Quick as thought he drew his pistol, and, placing 

 it within the mouth of the cave, fired. The dog, released 



