22 SWORDSMAN AND SOW. 



were prepared to witness wondrous deeds of 

 valour.:^ A few horsemen led by one of the 

 Meer's cousins then began to beat the cover, 

 with numerous boar hounds, and the hogs rushed 

 about in all directions. At last, one of them, a 

 large sow, getting sight of the champion, rushed 

 at him with a furious grunt ; and the poor 

 felloAV, whether appalled at sight of the beast, 

 or the effects of the stimulant at that mo- 

 ment passing away, was slow in his move- 

 ments, and before the sword could descend 

 her charge was made, and the boastful bragga- 

 docio sent flying heels in the air, whilst liis 

 assailant escaped unscathed. At first it was 

 thought that the fellow was killed, but some 

 water being thrown on his face and chest he 

 soon recovered his senses, and we found that 

 he had sustained no harm save fright, though, 

 had his assailant been a boar instead of a sow, 

 the result would have been very serious, if not 

 fatal, as the stroke of a boar's tusk inflicts a 

 fearful wound. I saw an instance of this 

 shortly after, when a wounded boar charged a 

 Sowar, and though he managed partly to avoid 

 the shock of the charge, the boar in passing cut 

 the horse across the side of the knee, inflicting 



