124 



ATTACK OF DOGS. 



ranks, caused our terrified baggage horses to 

 flee in all directions, whilst their Greek owners, 

 in despair, loudly invoked St. Nicolo and the 

 Blessed Virgin for assistance. The masters of 

 the dogs not being at hand to call them off, the 

 affair soon became serious, as the savage brutes 

 began to seize our steeds by the legs and tails, 

 inflicting severe wounds, and occasionally making 

 flying leaps, with the intention of gobbling us up 

 too ; nor was it till a bullet was sent through 

 the head of the ringleader, that we succeeded in 

 dispersing them, and rallying our routed cavalry. 

 Half an hour after, the same scene was enacted 

 anew by another batch of canines ; and our fire- 

 arms had again to be put into requisition, in 

 this case not without sundry threats from the 

 owners of the dogs, who had refused at first 

 to call them off. As these animals are valuable 

 to their masters, we avoided as much as pos- 

 sible injuring them ; and only on this occasion 

 were we obliged to slay in self-defence, though 

 it often required the greatest forbearance and 

 courage to endure their attacks, which, from 

 the size and ferocity of the assailants, are danger- 

 ous encounters. Almost always, however, the 

 peasants did their best to prevent mischief, as 



