
42 KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
the running took place. The dog, instead of 
following the creature up the ditch, “ ran 
cunning ;”’ and taking the nearest cut across 
the field to the further end of the ditch, 
waited there for the hare, and meeting it, 
caught the animal in his mouth. For this 
infringement of ‘“‘the laws of the chase,” 
the hound was hanged on the nearest 
tree ! 
The whole of the company to whom this 
anecdote was related, applauded the justice 
of the deed. He was a villainous dog, and 
richly deserved his fate. Now here was an 
act superior to that related by the ancient 
philosopher, as demonstrative of the reason- 
ing faculties of the dog, that a hound coming 
to a place where the road branched off in 
three different directions, smelt at two of 
them, and dashed down the third without 
smelling. It is quite on a par with the 
anecdote narrated by Sir Walter Scott, that 
his dogs, when they saw him preparing for a 
visit to the neighboring town, would slip out 
of doors and wait for him in the road—it being 
the custom, if possible, to shut them up and 
prevent their accompanying their master, 
when he took that journey. 
In what a different light must such matters 
be viewed by the philosopher and—the 
sportsman ! 
MORE OF OUR FRIEND,—THE DOG. 
THE BLOODHOUND. 
THE SAGACITY oF THE DoG, an animal 
which our Creator has assigned a very pro- 
minent place in the affections of man, far 
surpasses all power of comprehension. Every 
day tells us of something wonderful con- 
nected with his race, and we are well pleased 
to let him rank as one of our ‘guardian 
angels.’’ Our own experience leads to the 
belief, that he has extraordinary gifts for 
special purposes; and all we hear tends to 
confirm that belief. 
We were casting our eye carelessly, a few 
days since, over some of the pages of ‘‘ The 
Boy Hunters,” by Captain Mayne Reid. 
Among other things that arrested our atten- 
tion, was the description of a man lost in the 
Prairie, who was afterwards discovered by 
the intelligence of a bloodhound. It is this 
graphically-detailed fact that we wish to 
register in our columns. We do love dogs! 
But now for the prowess of our friend the 
bloodhound :— 
When the hunters found that their brother was 
lost, the first thing they did, in the hope that he 
had not wandered far, was to fire off their pieces, 
and then wait a sufficient time to give him an op- 
portunity of loading his gun, in case it had been 
previously discharged, to answer them. In this 
way they fired again; and no reply being made, 


they resorted to the expedient of smoke. Light- 
ing a fire, they took some pieces of burning wad, 
and, placing them on the open ground, raked 
together a pile of dry leaves and grass, and ignited 
it. Upon this sticks were piled, and, on the top 
of these, green leaves and boughs, with several 
armfuls of Spanish moss, which hung plentifully 
from the oaks. A thick, blue smoke, soon ascended 
high into the heavens; and, if the lost hunter 
should-not see such a signal, it must be a proof 
that he was very far off indeed. In this case he 
did not see it. 
Fortunately, the party had a bloodhound with 
them. Tying the mule which carried their pro- 
visions to a tree, they fixed a piece of paper on its 
back, directing their brother to remain there, in 
case he should have found his way back during 
their absence. Then commenced the operation of 
“trailing with a bloodhound.” Proceeding to the 
spot at which they had last seen their brother, 
when he had started on the turkey-hunt, they saw 
the tracks of his horse distinctly visible upon the 
turf. The eldest brother dismounted, and, after 
minutely examining the hoof-print, in order that 
they might know it again, in case the scent should 
be lost, called the hound to him. At this moment 
he held upon his arm the lost hunter’s blanket. 
The dog scented it ; uttering, as he did so, a low 
whimper, and gazing in his master’s face with a 
look of intelligence. The latter now “ flung the 
blanket over his own saddle, stooped again, drew 
his fingers along the grass, and, with a wave of 
his hand, motioned Marengo to follow its direction. 
The hound, uttering a single yelp, bent his nose 
to 7 ground, and sprang forward upon the 
trail.” 
Dashing forward at a gallop, the hunters 
followed the dog ; now and then stopping to break 
a branch of some conspicuous tree, in order that 
they might’ know their way back. After riding a 
considerable distance, they observed the dog begin 
to double, and run in circling courses over the 
prairie. They now drew up, lest they should ride 
upon the track, and baffle him. Presently, how- 
ever, he stopped, with a howl of disappointment: 
he had lost the trail. 
After some minutes of agonising suspense, the 
eldest brother dismounted, and walking slowly, 
bent forward and downward carefully, observing 
the ground as he went. In these cases, the hunter 
must have many strings to his bow. Fortunately, 
he had examined the hoof-prints of the lost hunter’s 
horse ere they set out, and now as he recognised 
them, he sprang forward with a shout of joy. In 
a moment the dog once more caught the night 
scent, and started off again, nose down, over the 
prairie. The brothers followed. 
At this moment a new difficulty presented it- 
self. The sun was setting on the high southern 
plateaux, over one of which they were travelling. 
They knew there was no twilight; and should it 
come on a dark night, how were they to follow 
the dog. It grew darker and darker, till it was 
difficult to distinguish the dusky body of the hound 
passing over the sward. What was to be done? 
“T have it!’ suddenly exclaimed Basil, the 
eldest, and at the word he spurred his horse for- 
ward, to overtake Marengo. The next moment 
he flung himself from the saddle, and, seizing the 
hound, arrested him in his tracks. Then making 


