Bran Wounded. 233 



pack had evidently divided upon two elk, as they were 

 running in different directions. 



Starting off down the pass, I soon reached the steep 

 patinas, and I heard the pack coming down through 

 the jungle which crowns the hills on the left of the road. 

 There was a crash in the underwood, and the next mo- 

 ment a fine buck broke cover and went away along the 

 hillside. Merriman and Tiptoe were the two leading 

 dogs, and they were not fifty yards behind him. Old 

 Smut came tearing along after them, and I gave Bran 

 a holloa and slipped him immediately. It was a beau- 

 tiful sight to see Bran fly along the patina : across the 

 swampy bottom, taking the broad stream in one bound, 

 and skimming up the hill, he was on the buck's path in 

 a few minutes, pulling up to him at every stride. He 

 passed the few dogs that were in chase like lightning, 

 and in a few more bounds he was at the buck's side. 

 With a dextrous blow, however, the buck struck him 

 with his fore foot, and sent him rolling down the hill 

 with a frightful gash in his side. The buck imme- 

 diately descended the hillside, and came to bay in a 

 deep pool in the river. Regardless of his wound, old 

 Bran followed him ; Smut and the other dogs joined, 

 and there was a fine bay, the buck fighting like a hero. 

 The dogs could not touch him, as he was particularly 

 active with his antlers. 



I jumped into the water and gave them a cheer, on 

 which the buck answered immediately by charging at 

 me. I met him with the point of my hunting-knife in 

 the nose, which stopped him, and in the same moment 

 old Smut was hanging on his ear, having pinned him 

 the instant that I had occupied his attention. Bran had 

 the other ear just as I had given the fatal thrust. In a 

 20* 



