250 BOAR AND POLYGAR DOGS. [CH. xv. 



a coarse dog of the Polygar breed. The dog is taught to seize the 

 hog between the hind legs when he has turned his head to meet 

 some other assailant, and to retain the hold until the hunters come 

 up. 



446. Talking of India, however, I cannot help digressing. Why 

 should not more Europeans residing in that country, have dogs as 

 well-trained for birds as the Natives have for the bear and hog ? I 

 have often thought what much finer sport I should have enjoyed, 

 when I was serving there, if I had then gained as much experience 

 in dog-breaking as I now have. As too many young fellows, be- 

 longing both to the Queen's and Company's service, frequently 

 complain of their inability to kill time (time which so soon kills 

 them !) it is a pity more of them do not take to the innocent 

 amusement of dog-breaking. The broiling sun* makes all game 

 lie so close in India (except very early in the morning, and towards 

 the close of day) that the best beaters, unless the number be un- 

 usually great, leave nearly a dozen head of game behind them for 

 every one that is sprung, especially in jungly ground. The evil is 

 partially, I allow, but very partially, remedied in grass-land, by 

 attaching numerous little bells to the long cord carried by the line 

 of beaters. I have heard of this plan being pursued in England 

 in the absence of dogs, or when the scent was unusually bad. 



447. The object at that time of my especial envy was a nonde- 

 script belonging to an officer of the Company's service, with whom 

 I used occasionally to shoot near Belgaum. The animal had, I 

 fancy, some cross of pointer in his composition ; so little, however, 

 that he never pretended to point. He used just to "feather" 

 feebly when he happened to get near any game ; and as he was a 

 wretchedly slow potterer, and never strayed (for hunting it could 

 not be called) far from his master, all that he did put up was well 

 within gun-range. His owner thus got nearly twice as many shots 

 as any of his companions. How much his sport would have been 

 increased had he possessed a good dog ! 



448. Now there are some native dogs t in India with not a bad 

 nose (those, for instance, which are employed to hunt the porcupine 

 at night), and a breed from them with an European pointer would, 



* We speak not of the delight- fields are cut ; but in high grass 



ful Neilgherry hills, nor the val- and strong jungle a team of Clum- 



leys of the magnificent Himalaya bers would be invaluable. They 



mountains. could not, however, be kept healthy 



t The really wild dogs of India, in the low, hot lands. We must 



the Dhole, hunt by nose, and naturally expect that in the cool 



in packs. parts of India the true English 



J Pointer rather than setter, not pointer (or setter) would be found 



only on account of his shorter coat, more serviceable than the best cross, 



but because his nose seems better For those who are fond of coursing 



suited to a hot climate. This cross in India what a pity it is that it 



would be hardy; and prove ex- should be so difficult to procure 



tremely useful when the grain good Arab -grey hounds. Whilst 



