PAKHAL NADDI OF THE PALM TREES 117 



From which we fear that Syr Eglamoure had failed to 

 keep his hog-spear keen, as all good pig-stickers should. 



That boare dyd him wo ynoughe, 

 His good horse under him he sloughe, 

 On foot than must he bide ! 



However, Syr Eglamoure had a second weapon on which 

 to fall back " hys good swerde " and so probably fared 

 better than would the hog-hunter of the present day, 



when 



On foot than must he bide. 



Shakespeare's Venus foretells the death of her Adonis 

 should he encounter with the " boare " 



with iaveling's point a churlish swine to goare, 

 Whose tushes, never sheathed, he whetteth still, 

 Like to a mortall butcher bent to kill. 

 His brawnie sides with hairie bristles armed 

 Are better proof than thy spear's point can enter 



Being irefull on the lyon he will venter. 



So when we are told that pig-sticking in India was 

 evolved from bear-spearing, and that its superiority was not 

 discovered till the supply of bears had run out, we cannot 

 restrain an exclamation of doubt. It does not seem likely 

 that the earliest Indian pig-stickers would have required 

 such guiding towards a sport of their ancestors ; besides 

 which, hog-hunting was already recognised and indulged 

 in by the chiefs of Hindostdn. 



Long years though they be since the "wylde swyne" 

 dwelt in English copses, those fortunate enough may still 

 enjoy his pursuit in this land of their adoption. We whose 

 lines were cast awhile at " Junglypur" were lucky enough 

 to get the sport first hand from nature so to speak at 

 our very doors ; and, above all, without that much-to-be- 

 deplored expenditure which has gone far to bring pig- 

 sticking towards the level of Indian racing. 



Our hog-hunting cost us nothing no two-thousand-rupee 



