WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 213 



front being hemmed in by a swarm of foes. That moment of 

 hesitation, however, proved well nigh his last ; for, as he stood out 

 prominently on the ridge of a vast boulder, his figure denned and 

 his head somewhat elevated, as if scanning the number and 

 strength of the enemy, or the weak point at which he might 

 best make his charge, a peasant, unable to resist the chance, 

 recklessly drew his trigger ; and while one heavy slug passed 

 through the boar's ear, causing it to lop at once over his right 

 -eye, but without doing further injury, another struck a noble 

 hound, called Helicon, right in the shoulder, and killed him 

 dead on the spot. Luckily Kergoorlas, the owner of the hound, 

 was stationed on the opposite side of the cover, and was not aware 

 till afterwards of the loss he had sustained ; but, had he witnessed 

 the act, it is more than probable, from his feudal spirit and fiery 

 nature, that the peasant would have rued that shot to the last day 

 of his life. As it was, he made himself scarce and quitted the 

 forest, without daring to face either Kergoorlas or St. Prix, and so 

 forfeited all claim to a share of the meat when cut up and appor- 

 tioned at the end of the day. 



The report of the peasant's gun, and the smart cuff in his ear 

 quickly settled the boar's doubts. Away he rushed, twitching his 

 head violently, into the very thick of the hounds, striking several 

 fiercely, and hoisting one fairly into the air, but still forging a-head 

 fast as his legs could carry him, and in one minute, what with 

 sheer force, wondrous activity, and a thorough knowledge of the 

 ground, he succeeded in clearing the whole pack, and made 

 straight for the sideland path on which St. Prix stood. Now 

 there was no room on that narrow path even for two horses 

 abreast, nor, from its ledge-like form there being a wall on one 

 side and a precipice on the other was it possible, without 

 advancing some distance, for St. Prix to wheel his horse round 

 and avoid the imminent collision. The advance, too, would 



