ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 109 



at his best speed. Sometimes we came on places where the 

 hard mud stuck up in jagged lumps, and my horse made some 

 desperate flounders. I sat well back in the saddle, keeping a 

 steady pull at his head, and the pace alone kept him on his 

 legs. After going about two miles the buck began to give in, 

 and broke away from the rest of the herd ; and as we were 

 then on better ground I was enabled to press him. I at 

 length succeeded in turning him, and I then knew that he 

 could not hold on much longer. He now gave in fast, and, 

 holding my horse well in hand, I took several more turns out 

 of him, and he soon after dropped exhausted. The run was 

 altogether a severe one, owing to the extreme roughness of 

 the ground, and the mud, baked in the sun, was as hard as 

 brick. On these occasions I generally carried a spear, though 

 I seldom required to use it, for when a buck is so far blown 

 as to allow a horse to come up with him, he will, in most 

 cases, throw himself down, and may then be laid hold of. 



A friend sent me a large red dog, which I found very useful, 

 especially when following a wounded buck in long grass, rough 

 ground, or high grain. The dog had, I think, belonged to some 

 of the Brinjarra, or other wandering tribes, and was a strong 

 powerful beast, though by no means fast. He was, however, 

 wonderfully steady, and would never leave a wounded deer. 

 Where antelope were numerous, I have frequently seen him 

 pursue one right through a herd ; and though the other deer, 

 apparently with the intention of baffling the dog, would cross 

 and recross within a few yards of his nose during the run, he 

 would never leave the wounded beast, but would follow on 

 till he succeeded in separating him from his fellows. The 

 only difficulty was to get him fairly laid on at the outset, and 

 for this purpose I had a cord passed through his collar to act 

 as a slip. I kept one end of the cord tied round the wrist, 



