Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-06-04

in general are of q high order-is that
when hard pushed in the chase she drops
her young out of the marsupial pouch
so as to enable her the more easily to
escape from the hunter and his dogs.
When startled by the hunter, the kanga-
roo invariably takes to the water, if
there be any in the vicinity. and coming
to bay in it, stands erect and fights
%tiercely for it's life. Should any mex
pericnced dog approach too near the en-
ragged animal, he is nor than likely to
pay the penalty of his rashness by his
death, for the kangaroo hesitates not to
seize the dog with his forepaws
and to thrust him under water
and hold him there until drowned.
If so pressed us to be unable to reach
water, the animal will make q stand
with its back against a tree, catching
any rash dog in the same manner and
intlicting most fearful wounds upon the
poor brute with the center claw of his
powerful hind foot, frequently ripping
it open at a single blow. You rarely
see a good kangaroo dog that has not
at some time or other in his life been
liberated in a shocking manner by the
toe of the kangaroo, the scars remain
ing as sad "reminiscences of unwary
puppy-hood, the experience ripening
into good old dog wisdom. Frequently
dogs in their conflict with the kangaroo
have their hides skinned from shoulder
to tail.
The kangaroo dog proper is a cross
between a greyhound and q Scotch
deerhound. Its strength and feetness
are great, both which qualities are in
dispensible in hounds hunting the
kangaroo. The coat is shaggy, as a
rule, and of a variety of col
ors. Altogether, it is hand
some and n~oblc-looking animal.
There are, however, many dogs which
are not strictly kangaroo dogs that are
employed in the chase, but it is usually
found that dogs of the perfect cross
which 1 have mentioned are most SER
vicable. The well-trained kangaroo
dog is highly priced, not only for his
acquired hunting habits, but for the
natural intelligence so often originally
displayed. As %instancing this intelli-
gence, it may be stated that should the
dog happen to kin the kangaroo before
comes quickly back to his master, lies
down by his side, as if afraid the other
dogs might suspect he had killed the
game and run off in search of it, should
he give evidences of his success in a
noticeable manner. He lies quietly by
his master. until his master gives the
signal to start, when he deliberately
proceeds to lead the way to his prize,
snarling at the other dogs whenever
they run before him and seem likely to
arrive at the spot. So %sagacious are
some dogs that they try to deceive
their associates by going just far
enough in the wrong direction
to Start the whole pack off at
full speed in that direction, when the
dog, who has killed the game, will
suddenly halt, signal the hunter by a
wag of the tail, and dash off to the
game with lightning speed, and there he
will stand guard over the carcass until
the hunter arrives, to whom he ex-
presses his qualification by a faint wag-
ging of the tail. The usual method Of
attack adopted by the kangaroo dog is
to seize the game by the hind foot OF
leg and to throwit on itsface. Some dogs
however, after getting alongside the
kangaroo will keep pace with it until
the other dogs come up, and then
seize the animal by the throat, holding
on to be swung about in the struggle
that ensues. Such dogs are more like
ly to be ripped open by the powerful
claw of the kangaroo than dogs at
lacking in the name first described
Alfred WiHtord, Of the Chicago Demo
cratic Standard.