WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 99 



the line of the three pigs already viewed, before a fresh draw 

 was made, especially as they were all full-grown animals, and 

 immediate sport would be the probable result. One or two 

 adventurous spirits had long tales to tell about the size and 

 fierceness of a monster boar that frequented Laz : they knew, 

 they said, .his very homestead among the granite rocks, over- 

 hanging the waterfall in the vale below; he was black as ink, 

 his bristles were nearly a foot long, and his tusks a fabulous size 

 every oak-stump on that quarter, on which he used to whet 

 them, gave token of their mighty strength and gashing power. 

 St. Prix's mouth watered as they spoke, and gladly would he 

 have gone at once to search for this monster pig ; but discretion 

 prevailed, and the thought of saving his hounds from the never- 

 failing consequences of attacking a " solitaire " turned the scale ; 

 so away he trotted, cap in hand, in pursuit of the younger and 

 less dangerous game. 



In less than ten minutes from that time, the four couple 

 of hounds that had already distinguished themselves were again 

 swinging away merrily on the line of the three pigs ; the peasants, 

 too, had disappeared, posting themselves at different points of 

 the cover ; while such of them as possessed not the permis-de- 

 chasse were hurrying stealthily back to resume the muskets they 

 had hidden during the short suspension of the chase. That this 

 was a necessary precaution on their part was clearly demonstrated, 

 not only by the presence of three or four gendarmes in cocked- 

 hats and full accoutrements, but by their seizure of one 

 peasant's gun, the owner thereof not being able to produce the 

 legal qualification. This episode in the chase would have 

 unquestionably led to serious results, as the blood of the 

 peasants was fairly roused, and they were ripe for a row or 

 any violence needed to rescue the gun and defy the law. But 

 St. Prix, either informed of the fracas, or coming accidentally to 

 the spot, most opportunely interposed, and by whispering a few 



