HUNTING A WOUNDED POTAQUAINE. 215 



standing within a hundred yards of me. I now slipped 

 all my trustiest hounds ; they ran forward toward the 



, , buck, and then took away up the hill, where, finding 

 nothing, they presently came down again, and, after 

 snuffing about for a little, followed up the scent of the 

 buck. 



All this time the potaquaine remained utterly mo- 

 tionless, regarding the dogs with a wicked eye. They, 

 however, did not observe him until they were within 

 about ten yards of him, when he stamped his foot, and 

 turned as if to fight with them. The dogs opened a 

 bay, and the next instant the potaquaine bounded 

 through the middle of them, and, holding down the 

 mountain side, was out of my sight in two seconds, the 

 dogs all at his heels. 



I pressed forward in the inost perfect confidence of 

 an immediate bay ; but, when I obtained a view of the 

 open forest around the mountain's base, nor dog nor 

 potaquaine could I see, neither could I hear a sound. 

 I thought the chase must have led up wind, so I held 

 on at my best pace along the rugged mountain's side. 

 I gained shoulder after shoulder, and opened fresh 

 ground, but nothing living could I see, nor could I hear 

 a sound. To make matters worse, it was blowing half 

 a gale of wind. Most thoroughly confounded, I now in 

 haste retraced my steps to the natives. These useless 

 creatures I found sitting just where I had slipped the 



- - dogs. In vain I asked them whither they were gone ; 

 they only put me wrong, and lost me the day ; for they 

 declared that they had watched the ground below to 

 leeward, and that no dog had gone in that course. 

 They had, however, gone that way, and were at that 

 moment baying a fresh buck very near me, but the un- 

 lucky wind prevented me from hearing them I hastily 



