THE ARAB'S STORY OF A BOAR. 139 



about six feet long and carries long ugly tusks, near which 

 on each side of the snout stand out two warts or bony 

 projections. " Hideous to a surprising extent," says Cap- 

 tain Harris, " but inferior in pith to his Asiatic relative, 

 slightly built, and of very insignificant stature, his chops 

 are armed with lancets, which in many instances attain 

 the most astounding dimensions. The wart-hog is ex- 

 tremely common in the interior, where, early in the morn- 

 ing or at eventide, after the sun had declined, large herds 

 were daily to be seen rooting in the open plain." 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



THE ARAB'S STORY OF A BOAR. 



1. THE voice of the hog, usually termed grunting, is 

 not very intelligible, nor does it convey much meaning ; 

 but the Arabs think that it speaks their own language, 

 and that many times its speech can be understood. That 

 this is believed is shown in the following story, told at the 

 camp-fire by an old Reefian hunter : 



2. " In the days of my youth, when a black mustache 

 curled where now you see the hoary beard of my winter's 

 age, I seldom passed a night within my father's hut ; but, 

 sallying out with my gun, lay in wait for the wild ani- 

 mals which frequented a neighboring forest. One moon- 

 light night I had taken my position on a high rock which 

 overhung a fountain and a small marsh a favorable spot 

 with our hunters to watch for boars who resorted thither 

 to drink and root. 



3. " The moon had traversed half the heavens, and I, 

 tired with waiting, had fallen into a doze, when I was 



