124 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



stern when I spoke to him, and fed a little, and also drank water, 

 but not more than a lap or two. In the evening of that day he 

 rejected both food and water; still there are phases of the 

 distemper so like hydrophobia that I hoped for the best, though 

 my suspicions were of the worst description. The following 

 morning cleared up every doubt upon the subject : the hound at 

 first became- ill at ease and could not sleep, he moaned occasion- 

 ally, and his eyes had a greenish-glassy or shining appearance, 

 when subjected to the reflection of light, much as one has seen a 

 fox's eyes look in the dark in a short earth or drain, when 

 gazing towards the orifice by which he had entered, only there 

 was in the hound's eyes a ray, if it may be so called, that con- 

 jured up the thought of the devil. I left him for about an hour, 

 and when I returned he was lying, in the position of a sphinx, 

 at the extreme length of his chain from the dish that held his 

 water. The instant I raised the water he became full of 

 apprehension or suspicion, so, by way of an experiment to satisfy 

 myself, I took a little of the water in my hand and sprinkled it 

 on his nose, drawing the chain that held him through the ring 

 so that I could prevent his reaching me in any wish to bite. 

 The instant he heard the water and saw it coming, almost before 

 it touched him, he was convulsed, crying in an angry or con- 

 vulsive manner, and biting at his chain. On the removal of the 

 water he relapsed into a sullen dejected state, and, unless 

 approached by water, in that sort of lethargy he remained, 

 occasionally moaning, till he died, which I think happened about 

 the fourth or fifth day after my first perceiving that he was dull. 

 Had this hound been let loose, I have no doubt, but that exercise, 

 increasing the circulation, would have incited to violence, and 

 that he would have run through the country biting all he came 

 near ; I do not think that had I sat within reach of his chain 

 throughout the malady, that he would have bitten me, unless 

 under delirious spasm produced by the touch of water. I have 

 seen it asserted that dogs in a rabid state of hydrophobia have 

 been known to lap water ; this assertion is erroneous : if they 

 have no hatred to, nor dread of water, their disease is not 



