382 ALL ABOUT DOGS 



had wounded a buck, and had found the blood-stained 

 track. I picked a blade of grass from the spot, which 

 was tinged with blood, and holding it to the dog's nose, 

 he eagerly followed me to the track, upon which I 

 dropped it. 



" He went off in a moment, but running mute 

 I was obliged to follow, and after a run of over 

 half a mile, I lost sight of him. In following the track 

 of the wounded buck I heard the distant barking of a 

 dog, by which I knew he had brought him to bay, and 

 I was soon at the spot. The buck had taken up a posi- 

 tion in a small glade, and was charging furiously at 

 the dog, but he was a great deal too knowing to court 

 the danger and kept well out of the way. I shot the 

 buck, and tying a piece of jungle rope to the dog's neck, 

 gave him to a gunbearer to lead as I hoped he might be 

 again useful in hunting up a wounded deer. I had not 

 proceeded more than half a mile when we arrived at 

 the edge of a small sluggish stream, covered in most 

 places with rushes and waterlilies. 



" We waded through this about up to our hips, but 

 the gunbearer, who had the dog with him, could 

 not prevail upon our mute companion to follow; 

 he pulled violently back and shrank and showed 

 every sign of terror as he approached the water. 

 I had now got over and was on the opposite 

 bank, but as nothing could induce the dog to vol- 

 untarily come near the river, I told the gunbearer to 

 drag him across by force. This he accordingly did, 

 and the dog swam with frantic exertions across the 

 river and managed to slip his head out of the jungle 



