22 
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BLOOD-HOUND. 
he couched. The powers of the man relaxed; Nature had done her utmost, she 
was at length exhausted. The darkness of despair was on the point of plunging 
his senses in unconsciousness, and death was about to seize upon his victim, when 
the brushwood behind him crashed and yielded before a heavy weight, the bay of 
a blood-hound awoke him to consciousness and hope, a large animal bounded upon 
his merciless foe, the shock hurled the destroyer from its prey, and the brave 
hunter felt that he was saved. * 
An American hunter, whether a native of the Northern or Southern division of 
that vast Continent, rarely, if ever, loses his presence of mind. The prostrate and 
much-lacerated man tottered to his feet, and recovering his hunting knife, which 
he had lost in the struggle, staggered forward, and at eminent further hazard to 
himself, plunged it repeatedly between the ribs of his late conqueror, who, 
although he had well-nigh mastered the Dog (for such was his deliverer), was 
still too firmly fixed in the blood-hound’s gripe to foresee or evade the avenging 
thrusts. It then fell backwards and released its courageous opponent, who, 
however, despite his wounds, maintained firm hold of his throat until Mr. A. had 
reloaded his gun, and, applying it to the monsters ear, put it out of pain, and 
deprived it of the capability of doing further mischief. 
Need I explain the occasion of this truly providential and almost miraculous 
rescue. The favourite blood-hound which on quitting home he had left behind 
him, had continued howling all day as if possessing a sort of prophetic prescience 
of the accident, by which his owner s life would be placed in such extreme danger, 
and having at length broken loose, had gone forth in quest of his missing master, 
and found him in time, but only just in time, to save him from one of the most 
horrible of deaths. 
The brave hunter, although much torn, contrived to remove the Cougars scalp, 
i. e ., the ears, and that portion of skin between and around them, and also to 
return home, from whence he was fortunately not far distant; nor did he, I am 
happy to be able to say, ever forget his faithful deliverer, but took the greatest 
care of him until he recovered from his wounds, which were of course severe, and 
constituted him his constant attendant, night and day, till at length he died at 
the advanced age of nineteen years, fall of days and of honour. 
The gentleman to whom the above extraordinary adventure occurred, is still 
living, and to this day retains on his breast and forehead deep scars, pointing out 
the wounds he received in that singular and almost fatal encounter. 
The Spanish blood-hound belonging to Mr. Johnston, of Edinburgh, appeared 
very good-tempered and patient of injury. I once saw it thrown a piece of bread, 
and just as it was about to pick it up, a Skye terrier that chanced to be passing 
by ran in and snatched it himself; and although this very impertinent action was 
accompanied by a bitter and provoking snarl, the noble hound disdained to meddle 
