his course he saw me coming, and this time he obeyed 

 the call and signal instantly, and with a limp air of 

 disappointment followed quietly back to the tree. 



The reason for Jock's persistent disobedience that day 

 was not even suspected then ; I put everything down 

 to the kick ; and he seemed to me to be ' all wrong,' 

 but indeed there was excuse enough for him. Never- 

 theless it was puzzling that at times he should ignore 

 me in positively contemptuous fashion, and at others 

 obey with all his old readiness : I neither knew he 

 was deaf, nor realised that the habit of using certain 

 signs and gestures when I spoke to him and even of 

 using them in place of orders when silence was im- 

 perative had made him almost independent of the 

 word of mouth. From that day he depended wholly 

 upon signs ; for he never heard another sound. 



Jock came back with me and lay down ; but he was 

 not content. Presently he rose again and remained 

 standing with his back to me, looking steadily in the 

 direction taken by the koodoo. It was fine to see 

 the indomitable spirit, but I did not mean to let him 

 try again ; the koodoo was as good as dead no doubt, 

 yet a hundred koodoo would not have tempted me 

 to risk taking him out : to rest him and get him back 

 to the camp was the only thought. I was feeling 

 very soft about the dog then. And while I sat thus 

 watching him and waiting for him to rest and recover, 

 once more and almost within reach of me he started 

 off again. But it was not as he had done before : 

 this time he went with a spring and a rush, and with 

 head lowered and meaning business. In vain I called 



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