BILL SYKES'S DOGGEDNESS. 387 



be caught hold off and half choked within reach of the elephant. They had 

 to be carried from the spot and bathed in a stream near : there were no 

 bones broken, but they were much bruised. However, what did that 

 matter to dogs of their stamp ? Plenty of milk and good soft beds of straw 

 soon put them all right. 



Soondargowry (the elephant) was now brought up, and the captured 

 youngster was secured to her and led to the river, and then to camp. It 

 was about two years old, and weighed probably 900 lb., a good feat in 

 seizing for dogs under 40 lb. Its wounds were not serious, and in ten 

 days were quite healed. I brought it on to the strength of the elephant 

 department, but when the Chief Commissioner learnt how it had been 

 caught he made me a present of it. I had a soft saddle made and rode it 

 for some months — it was quite tame in fifteen days after we caught it — 

 and I finally sold it for £50. I gave the dogs a sumptuous dinner of 

 two courses — roast-mutton and rice-pudding, both unlimited in quantity 

 and first-rate in quality — on the occasion. 



As an instance of the dauntless courage of the above-mentioned Bill 

 Sykes (an imported dog, for which I paid £20 in England), I may mention 

 that before I had had him long he one day, when let loose, seized Soondar- 

 gowry by her trunk, and hung on until we succeeded in catching her after 

 she had run through the jungles until she could scarcely put one foot before 

 the other ! He could never have seen an elephant before, but a buU-dog is 

 not dismayed by any object, however strange. In this respect he differs 

 from every other created being. 



I have never killed a panther in the jungles with dogs only, but I 

 once let a full-grown leopard out of a cage in an open plain with Bill Sykes, 

 Turk, Bismarck, and Tiger. They speedily rendered him liors de combat, 

 though I had to put a knife into him at last, as it is impossible for dogs 

 to kill a panther or bear outright, though they can make them imable to 

 leave the spot. Turk was the only dog bitten, and he was not severely 

 hurt. Panthers or leopards in caves might be easily overcome with such 

 dogs. Por use against panthers or bears a leather collar, almost as thick as 

 a trace, and three and a half inches wide, is ample protection for the dogs' 

 throats. There should be no spikes or plates on the collar, as whilst a 

 panther wiU seize the throat (which he cannot harm through the leather) if 

 there be no spikes, their presence is likely to make him lay hold elsewhere 

 where he may do more damage. 



