The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1871-11-04
The Wild Dogs of the Cape.

be met with, aud in the intererior of
Africa they can be found in vast herds.
These animals always hunt in troops,
divided, in the most orderly manner,
into partics Sometimes they are six in
number, sometimes ten, sometimes as
many as sixty. They are very strong
and enduring, and the largest aud swift
est antelopcs are incapable of holding
out when chased by several of them.
A hunter thus relates his adventures
| with these animals:
was lying in wait in cavern, near
the drinking place of these wild animals.
Behind Inc, l heard large antelope
come gallopiug past me. 1t was guu,
and threw itself into the middle Of the
water, in order to escape four wild dogs,
which were i'll full chase after it. They
looked very wild. Their heads and
shoulders we're covered with blood, and
it was evident that they were quite sure
of their prize. They came closer up to
inc, but took no notice of me.
made up my mind that should
like to have shot at the gnu, and also
at one Of the dogs. was successful as
regards the antelope; one of her pursu.
ers l wounded, aud the other dogs, to
whom such an experience wrs quite
novelty, were quite alarmed. They
formed halt-circlc around me, in order
to obtain the wind side of me, and to be
able to discover what had been the cause
of their misfortune. | loaded again,
and by wounding another of them, l
caused them all to run away.
These dogs are extremely active and
vigorous,b but the gnu is the largest ami
NAL flley have been known to attack I
have never heard Of their attacking
buffalo. In the deserts, there are large
cayerrs, in which they lay their young
These caves extend to great distance
one with another. But the dogs do not,
when pursued, seek refuge in these cav
er ms, but trust to their own swiltness,
and run, with their young ones, across
the plain. Fearful are the depredatious
they sometimes inhict upon shepherds
and colonists. a careless shepherd hav-
ing on one occasion, left the flock under
his care, either to shoot birds or visit
friend, swarm CT wild dogs ruscl in
among the sheep and committed terrible
havoc. a vast number were killed and
wounded. The dogs had worried far
more than they had been able to deyour.
They have three distinct kinds of
bark, each serving different purpose
When they suddenly meet any object
that strikes them as strange or alar ming,
they give sharp, anxious cry. At
other times their barking resembles the
chattcring of apes, or the voice of man
whose teeth are shaking with intense
cold They utter these cries when they
are collected together in large herds at
night, and are excited by something un-
usual that alarms them, such as the
barking of tame dogs. The third and
most usual cry is their rallying call;
as toT instance, when they have become
scattered during an antelope chase.
This sound is much softer than the 9th er
wo, and is really not upmelodious, but is
very tar-reaching. 1t resembles, more
than anything else, the second call of u
cuckoo, and is a pleasant noise when
heard only early III the moruing from
the forest. All domcstcatcd dogs. how
ever large, powerful and ferocious they
may he, are held in utter contempt by
the wild ones, who stand quietly await
sns their attack, keep faithfully by one
anothtr's side, and usually end by tear
ing and rcnding their tame brethren.
They, however, return the hatred borne
them by their wild relatives with inter
est, seeming to dread their bark more
than they do the roar of the lion These
singular animals appear to form the
link between the wolf aud the lyeua.
When | lirst met with these wild dogs,
| was not aware of their dangerous
chuacter ] was destined to know it
better, however. Their mcludious rally
Ing cry brought number of them to