Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-11-15
Wild Dogs,

In Mysone. IndIa, a tiger had Killed ON.
OF my cart buliocks while he was prazino
Ia the Jungle within half mile of canp,
In my ao7ence they had put up a macnsn
on tree Lear the carcase, but they musl
have made so much noise that the tice,
was frightened, and left that part of the
jungle; for. though | rode down to the
place on my pony and sat over the kill till
DARK, no tiger appeared | was well re
PAID, however, for gong. for | was favor
ed with very interesting sight. The sun
was getting low, everything was quiet in
tae thick Jungle round, aud vas thinking
about moving homeward when a peacock
behind me called, and l hoped 1t was the
tiger returning for his evening meal. A
Few seconds aiterwerd rustic on the
leaves followed: and vet though strained
my eyes, 1 could see nothing. Suddenly,
stealing along, with Their noses up, drink
ing ~ the delicious fragrance which came
iron the dead bullock, down wind, [ saw
small pack of wild dogs, seven m al.
heir bright rufous color had no doubt
| made the peacock, who must have seen
one of them, think it vas his enemy, the
tiger. They circled quietly round the
glade where the Kill was lying. as though
suspicious OF trap, but finally they
seemed to make up their minds that there
was nothing to fear, and, led ON by the
largest of the pack, fine fellow with a
large bushy tail, they crept up to the Car
case in Indian file. One good look TO see
If the coast was clear. and they rushed in
10 the unclean feast. it was now that
they did what have never read of wild
dogs, or indeed of any other wild auirna.s
Going. Only three of the party commen-
ced feeding. The other four, as If il were
only part of their usual routine, trotted off
into the jungle, and dunng the whole time
Their friends were feeding, they were en-
gagged In ccaseless patrol of the adjoining
nelghborhOod, crossIDg and recrosslng
each other at distance cf from so to 100
yards from the klIl. Presently one of the
three seemed to have taken the edge off
his appetite, fJr he left the bullock, rolled
and rubbed his nose in the grass, and then
trotting off on his tour OF duty. relieved
the nearest vIiette. who ran In TO enjoy
the carron. And so in turn each one got
his share, no doubt enjoying the feast the
more from the knewiedge that friendly
sentinels were on the alert and that he
would get timely warning of any approach
ing danger. Their system of outpost
duty is, in fact, uurivaled, and our best
light infantry might with advantage have
taken a lesson frcm them. | have several
times during the last few years had litters
of wild dogs brought In to me by the S2rias
or jungle men of Central India, but |
could never get them to live 10 maturity.
Though warmly housed and well looked
after they always succumb TO lung
disease. One reached the age of II
montns, but the damp in the early rains
proved t. be too much for HIM. They
were, as a rule, tame, but never sociab!e,
and though they made great friends with
my II iscellaneoBs PACK Of terriers, and es-
pecially with my two monkeys, who IN
varably chaperoned the pack when they
went out for walking exercises, yet
could never get the wlld dogs to come TO
me, except when had food to give them,
when tnev would sneak up, snatch il from
my hand, and run Of again. l had, Of
course, no object in shooting any of my
friends ON the present occasion, especially
after the interesting evening they had
given me. The air, when once the sun
was down, became rapidly chilly, which
meant subsequently fever and ague If |
remained, so, as had given up all hopes
of the tiger, | gave whistle. The wild
dogs vanished as if by magic, to return,
no doubt later on. And | draggad my
sore bones to camp, where good dinner
made me forget my bruises, and l was
:cle over soothing pipe 10 mediate future
plans of revenge against all the bison
SnecIes