206 WOLF-HUNTING. 



home to the stern of his hounds, might well be pardoned if a 

 tinge of pride mantled to his brow at that moment; but the 

 colouring, if it came, was as transient as the shade of a summer 

 cloud, for no man on earth could be less selfish, either in the 

 chase or at home, than St. Prix; no one could love to share 

 pleasure with another better than he did. 



" Bravo, Kergoorlas ! " he exclaimed with delight, as, to his 

 great surprise, he saw that chasseur in our company. " Bravo ! 

 you and your hounds are just in time to do us good service with 

 yonder pig. I have been running her hard for three hours ; but 

 she has fresh caught her wind now, and will hold us a good tug 

 yet." 



The moment he had driven her to soil St. Prix had given an 

 order that no gun should be used, and that he meant to kill the 

 game beast by fair hunting alone ; and now, with the reinforce- 

 ment brought up by Kergoorlas, he expected to accomplish that 

 object without much difficulty. 



One cheer and a blast on his horn sent every hound plunging 

 into the stream ; but as it was some twenty yards across, and the 

 pig's standpoint was under cover of the opposite bank, before a 

 hound could reach her she dashed down the stream swiftly as 

 a red deer, swimming the pools, and making the water fly from 

 her heels as she scampered over the shallow bed. Never was 

 heard a finer crack of music than opened in her rear ; and so 

 determinedly did the beast cleave to the river, in which she had 

 already found such good shelter, that, press her as they would, 

 the hounds fairly failed to make her land and seek for refuge else- 

 where. So for more than half-an-hour the chase became literally 

 more like an otter than a boar-hunt. Twice, when brought 

 temporarily to bay, did St. Prix bound into the stream, thinking 

 to bury his couteau behind her shoulder-blade, and twice did the 

 wary beast elude the blow, flying down stream like a water-ouzel, 



