The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-06-21
DOGS AND DEER.
a Mad Flight For Life In the Wildz
OF Sibcria

a Mad Flight For Life In the W1Ids
of Siberin.
The strength OF heredity both IN wild
and in domesticatel animals is brought
into clear light by al incident related
in a book, In Search OF Siberian
Klondike" The authors of the book
were travelling BY dog team through
the wilds of Siberia.
At i o'clock in the afternoon the dogs
suddenly broke into swift run, and
we knew they had scented something
that interested them. We soon per-
ceived that we had struck deer trail
and that we were nearing an encamp'
ment. We turned a bend in the road,
and there a hundred yards ahead Of us
we saw the cause Of the dogs excite.
ment.
\ team of reindeer were running for
their lives. Their fungus driver was
lashing them with the whip and was
urging them with all his might, for he
knew as we'll as we that # our dogs
overlook them before the camp was
reached We seven men would be utter
II powerless to prevent the dogs from
tearing the deer to pieces. Our driver
put on the brake with all his might,
but it had not the least effect. The
fourteen dogs had become wolves in
the turn Of hand, and no brake could
stop them There were many stumps
and other distractions along our way,
and my driver had great difficulty in
preventing a smasnup.
For q short time the deer held their
own and, in fact, gained Oh us, but
before the yurta (village) came in sight
we were gaining rapidly. While we
were still at some distance the people
Of the village, warned by the cries Of
the dogs, comprehended what was the
matter and, arming themselves with
sticks and spears, came running to-
ward us. AS they came on they spread
out in fanlike formation across the
trail. When the terrified deer reached
the line the men spread out and let the
team through and instantly closed
again to dispute the passage Of our
dogs.
Our driver was nowise minded to let
the natives club his dogs and perhaps
injure the valuable animals, so be e.
sorted to tie last expedient Giving q
shout Of warning to me, he suddenly
by deft motion turned our sledge
completely over, landing me in a snow.
drift on my head. In this position the
sledge was all brake, and the dogs were
forced to stop. They were leaping in
their harness and yelling like fends
incarnate
I sat up in the snow bank and laugh
ed. The other dri-ers had followed our
example, and the struggling tangle of
sledges, harness, dogs and men formed
a scene that, to the novice at least, was
highly ludicrous The drivers and the
village people were belaboring the dogs.
and the entire herd Of reindeer belong
ing to the village was escaping in all
directions up the hills.
The reader may well ask how the na.
tives can use both dogs and reindeer if
the sight Of deer has such madden
ing effect on the dogs. The explana-
ton is simple. The two never go to-
gether. There is the dog country and
the deer country, but they do not over
lap. Confusion is often unaToidably
caused by travelling with dogs through
a deer country, but the natives do not
take it in i'll part, knowing that if they
themselves have to travel with deer
through a dog country they will cause
uuite as much inconvenience.