66 More speaking acquaintances. Chapt. v. 



abruptly left the scent, and went in search of Juno, the 

 fleetest of the kangaroo hounds, then hunting about for 

 herself about a quarter of a mile off. Back the two 

 scampered together in a great hurry, he picked up the 

 old scent, and followed it up, till he fairly laid her in 

 in view, and then away she went, he keeping her in sight 

 as best he could by cutting corners. To bring her away 

 from her own chances of sport, and that so promptly, 

 and to get her to accompany him back in such a hurry, 

 he must have conveyed to her mind a very clear idea of 

 some definite sport immediately in hand. No human 

 being interfered. They did it all themselves. But dogs 

 can also make themselves intelligible to men, for we have 

 lived so much with them that we have in some measure 

 learned their language. Though we do not know all they 

 say about it, man can well understand from the manner 

 of a dog's giving tongue, when it thinks it has hit upon 

 a scent, and when it is sure it has a warm one, and 

 when it is in view. A dog's whimper, its giving tongue, 

 baying, barking, growling, moaning, howling, yelping, are 

 all distinct sounds, with a distinct significance, which man 

 has learnt to understand. If he knew more he would 

 understand also how dogs speak to each other in silence 

 by signs, or expressions of countenance, or in audible 

 words, that man cannot follow. 



How does a bison tell its calf that it must run in 

 front of the herd and lead the pace, and having told it 

 this, how does it make it understand the line of country 

 to be taken? All this it does in apparent silence, and 



