THE DOG. 141 



Spaniards employed these dogs in America, cruelly to 

 hunt the defenceless Indians, that they might compel 

 them to point out the gold mines. 



One instance of the power of this hound may here 

 be given. About forty years ago, a person getting over 

 a stile into a field in the New Forest, remarked that 

 there was blood on it. It almost immediately occurred 

 to him that some deer had been slaughtered, and seve- 

 ral sheep stolen in the neighbourhood j and that this 

 might possibly be the blood of one of them killed the 

 night before. The man went, in consequence, to the 

 nearest lodge to give information j but the keeper being 

 absent, he was compelled to go to another, which was at 

 a considerable distance, and the under-keeper went with 

 him from thence, accompanied by a blood-hound. The 

 dog, being brought to the spot, was laid on the scent j 

 and after following for about a mile the track which the 

 depredator had taken, he came at last to a heap of 

 furze faggots belonging to the family of a cottager. 

 The woman of the house attempted to ' drive the dog 

 away, but was prevented j and on the faggots being 

 removed, a hole was discovered in the ground, which 

 contained the body of a sheep recently killed, and also 

 a considerable quantity of salted meat. This discovery 

 is rendered the more remarkable by the dog not being 



