132 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



much too solid to knock over ! 



Rushes neck-stretched, thudding Waler. 



Rush to meet her, Grey-boar foaming 



red his furious glinting optic 



bristles upright, grey " chaps " foaming, 



onwards upwards bounds at Waler. 



" Hough hough hough I " the Grey-boar foaming ! 



True bites spear-point, point of shoulder 



passing like a stroke of lightning 



such the force of that mad impact 



glances far and deeply through him ; 



but the speed of such an impact, 



Grey-boar up the haft it hurls him ; 



cleanly keen, tush slices stifle 



stifle of the sturdy Waler ; 



cracks stout bamboo, splinters spear-haft, 



foaming Grey-boar's left behind us 



standing sternly ominous, and grimly, 



like some tide-set rock the surges 



rushing over leave behind them. 



So it comes last fierce finale, 

 reins all tugging wrenching wheeling ; 

 dry lips panting wide eyes staring 

 spurring back on Grey-boar reeling 

 "Hough hough hough!" brave boar! still fighting- 

 grunting charging tushes tossing 

 fiercely upward ! " Let 'em all come ! " 

 Till at last foes ever facing 

 comes some strangely weary faintness, 

 dies the light from eyes courageous, 

 sinks to earth boar grey and glorious ! 



Home o'er brown fields quietly jogging 

 passed hot gallop passed fierce killing 

 let us ponder on this killing. 

 " How he must have felt that killing, 

 " grim old Grey-boar ! brave old Grey-boar ! 

 " rather I the kindly bullet 

 " sudden, thudding, numbing bullet 

 " than that chill blue lance's probing. 



