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Stirling grabbed great bunches of fur around the animal’s neck as the huge beast used all its immense strength to shake him loose. But Stirling held on, forcing the animal’s head beneath the icy depths. Perhaps it realised that in Stirling it had an adversary to fear as its struggling becoming more erratic, panic taking hold. It growled and snarled as if in pain, and when it went under again and the water rushed over its head, Stirling kept it there until he could feel the strength ebbing from its body, and when he brought it up again, the animal didn’t respond. It hung limp in his hands, a dead weight, tongue lolling out of its open, slack mouth. Stirling swung his arm and, with a tremendous hammer blow, smashed his fist across the dog’s muzzle.
The animal gave an ear-piercing whine,
