426 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



seeing her intention, met her in her spring, and struck her down, 

 following her up most viciously with his "antlers. In another 

 instant the bitch would have been impaled, but at this critical 

 moment Valiant, who had gained a good position, cleverly sprang 

 forward and seized him by the ear. Nothing could shake him 

 from his hold. ' Hold him, good lad,' I shouted, when Ploughboy, 

 who WHS close alongside, seized the other ear. 



" The stag now rushed down the river with the two dogs hang- 

 ing like earrings from his head. Rearing upon his hind legs, he 

 vainly endeavoured to shake them from their determined hold. 

 Rushing again into the deep water, once more he dived ; but all 

 in vain ; as he reappeared upon the surface, the staunch couple 

 were hanging like leeches at their places, although half-drowned, 

 and regardless of many severe blows they had received from his 

 fore-feet. 



" I now jumped into the river, with a loud cheer to the pack, 

 and the knife bared. In another moment the greyhounds sprang 

 upon the stag. The spray flew from the blows of his feet, as he 

 lashed out in all directions in desperate fury ; but the maddened 

 hounds were upon him, and the knife put an end to a hunt which 

 had lasted from 7.30 A.M. until the termination at 4 P.M. Eight 

 hours and a half; during which it would be difficult to guess the 

 number of miles that were covered by both stag and hounds. 

 Ploughboy was lamed for a week from a severe kick, but none of 

 the other dogs were seriously injured." 



Although as a rule a stag is more dangerous than a hind, I 

 have seen fatal wounds produced by the blow of the fore-foot, with 

 which the sambur hind is very active. It may readily be imagined 

 that in deep water, where the deer is obliged to swim, it is power- 

 less to act on the offensive, but when so large and powerful an 

 animal stands only belly-deep in the midst of a roaring torrent, it 

 becomes impossible for any dog to approach, as it would be 

 instantly swept away by the stream. A hind becomes dangerous 

 to hounds in such a position, as she is apt to make a sudden 

 bound, and strike a dog with both the fore-feet simultaneously. I 

 once knew a fatal accident, when a dog named Cato was killed in 

 this manner, and the sharp pointed hoof penetrated the body like 

 a spear, and dragged out the intestines in the act of withdrawal. 

 Success in hunting sambur deer with hounds must depend upon an 

 intimate knowledge of the character and habits of the animal, a 

 mutual confidence between master and hounds, and a most perfect 

 experience of the country. If the hounds feel sure that their 

 master will stick to them, and be certain to appear sooner or later, 



