384 BISON AND BULL-DOGS. 



ing on to the brute's stern, the only part they could attack during his 

 retreat through the thick undergrowth, wliilst he struck at them with his 

 fore-paws. As soon as he saw me within ten feet of him he came straight 

 at me, and I was obliged to brain liini with a shot. This was a pity, 

 as we had lioped to knife him. The other dogs came up at this moment, 

 and but for the contretemps there would have been a fair fight. Bismarck 

 was severely injured. A bite in the throat narrowly missed his windpipe, 

 and he was so roughly handled that he could not stand up for a day or 

 two. He, however, did many doughty deeds before his death, a year later, 

 from a kick by a stag sambur. Marquis and Viper were more or less 

 clawed, but not seriously. This bear weighed exactly 280 lb., or 20 st. 

 Our discomfiture was entirely owing to the dogs not having been able to 

 get at the bear's head, and to their being separated. 



I have not had many fair chances at bison with my dogs. The soli- 

 tary bulls that lie out by themselves are the best animals to attack. P>uf- 

 falo might also be hunted in this way in many parts of Bengal and other 

 places where they are found. Wlien it is considered with what ease one 

 good dog can pull down the largest tame buffalo or bullock, it may easily be 

 imagined that a bison or wild buffiilo has no chance against three or four. 

 His enormous power is of no avail to him against such pigmy antagonists. 

 A less powerful but more active animal would stand an infinitely better 

 chance of escajie by shaking them off', and betaking itself to fiight, tlian does 

 a bison. 



In approaching bison or buff'alo, and in fact all animals, with dogs, 

 it is necessary that the men keep out of sight if possible, as many animals 

 will stand to fight dogs which make off" at once if they suspect the presence 

 of man. When the dogs have got to work their master may put in an 

 appearance. From what I have seen on occasions such as the following, 

 I have no hesitation in stating my opinion that four good dogs slu»uld 

 hold any bison or buffalo so that it may be hamstrung. 



It was on the 30th August 187G that I started from Poonjoor with a 

 strong pack in search of bison. There were seven couples in all, of which 

 Bill Sykcs, Bismarck, Turk, Tiger, and Lady were the seizers, and the rest 

 were finders. Some of the latter were quite plucky enougli to join the 

 attack when nn animal was seized by the big dogs. The seizers were in 

 single leashes, tlie otliers in couples, so that I had some ten men witli me 

 leading them, in addition to the trackers. As we could not find a solitary 

 bull's track we followed a herd. 



We came on the bison in bamboo-cover after two ]iour.s' tracking. The 

 finders were all sli]»i)c'd at theni, but the seizers were ke}>t in leash till one of 



