46 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



roof, and food and water let down in buckets. Nothing, 

 however, would he touch after the first day, and on the 

 third he died raving mad, having torn everything to 

 pieces within his reach. For safety, all the loose dogs 

 about the place were shut up or destroyed, but I had 

 still an idea that he might have bitten some of the young 

 hounds through the railings, as they were generally out 

 in the green-yard. So it proved. We watched them 

 carefully, and two of them soon showed symptoms of 

 rabies. They were removed directly, placed in a loose 

 box, and died in three days afterwards. Others soon 

 followed, and I then sent off for a very clever surgeon in 

 the neighbourhood, who was fond of the chase, and whom 

 I had before consulted on the distemper. As soon as he 

 arrived I told him the circumstances, and that he would 

 probably have many patients to try experiments on. He 

 shook his head, and said he was afraid he could do no 

 good. To commence, however, we dissected the two 

 dogs which had died. In the stomach we found only 

 sticks and straw, and the brain exhibited no appearance 

 of inflammation, which we had expected. 



*' Now, Doctor," I said, " let me introduce you to 

 your living patients." " Well," he said, " I think I must 

 decline that honour ; I never had any very great desire 

 to walk into a tiger's den, but I should take tlie tiger's 

 for choice in preference to going into a den of mad dogs." 

 " Come," I said, " Doctor, don't be nervous ; but if you 

 won't venture in, I will, and you shall hold the door out- 

 side." We went, therefore, to the door, with the 

 whipper-in, but the moment he opened it, and shewed 

 his face, both the hounds flew at the door like savages. 

 " This will never do," said the Doctor, " take your gun 



