127 



WILD DOGS. 



As I was walking along a game-track in the Nullamallais, I came upon a dog 

 ?|retched at length across the path. Instead of bolting away — as wild dogs 

 usually do at sight of man— the dog rose up reluctantly and slouched in a 

 semi-circle, eyeing me with a sinister look. I had sent my guns round by the 

 road to meet me at a point further on, and was therefore unarmed. The dog 

 at length disappeared behind a bush, and I walked on marvelling at its strange 

 behaviour. I had gone thus about a furlong when I happened to look 

 behind and I saw the dog rushing after me at full speed, with its nose to the 

 ground (this was strange, as it had already seen me). I immediately faced 

 round, with a large stone I hastily picked from the ground. The do^ rushed 

 almost to my feet (still with its nose to the ground and not looking up !) and I 

 hit it a severe blow with the stone, at the same time rushing to meet it with a 

 loud shout. The shout appeared to alarm the dog more than the missile. It 

 started aside and again semi-circled, whUe I retreated backwards— keeping my 

 face to the dog— in the direction I had come. I did this, as I should have 

 got into thicker jungle had I gone on. I felt convinced that the dog would 

 again attack me there, and perhaps fetch other dogs to its assistance. 

 In this way I backed out of the jungle back to my tent. It was fortunate for 

 me that this dog was alone. Had others been with it, its aggressive 

 demeanour would probably have incited them to an attack. I was much 

 annoyed at having. been turned back by a cur of a dog, and sent post-haste 

 for a gun to revenge the indignity. As soon as this arrived, I stealthily 

 paraded the path again, hoping to find the dog again, but it was nowhere to be 

 seen. I then remembered that I had observed it to be a slut, with dugs nearly 

 touching the ground. Eecollecting this, I determined to search the forest 

 and, after nearly two hours' patient investigation, I came upon a cave 

 concealed in the undergrowth. A faint whine from its depths apprised 

 me that I had found the puppies, and I hastened back to my camp 

 for coolies to dig them out. I soon unearthed six lovely little russet- 

 red balls of fur (the mother was evidently out foraging as we did not see 

 any sign of her). Anything prettier than the puppies it would be difficult 

 to imagine ; but their beauty was marred by a pungent smell, such as is 

 found about the cages of the fercz natures in a zoo. This odour caused 

 prodigious excitement in my camp when I arrived there with my captives. 

 My dog rushed forward barking furiously, with all its hairs on end, and even 

 the goats made fierce demonstrations of hostility. I sent the puppies away 

 to my bungalow at once. During the night the mother evidently traced 

 them to my tent, for she came around the camp, and the servants were 

 throwing fire-sticks at her all night to keep her off. In the morning I still 



