148 THE IMAGE OF WAE 



I anticipate. This time, on finding my glade filling 

 up gradually with horses, donkeys, sheep, a man talk- 

 ing with a boy, and an enormous white dog of sinister 

 appearance, 1 gave it up, and, as the beaters were still 

 out of ear-shot, I went back to Kollio, who was sitting 

 by H., and who now posted me in a glade — not very 

 open — on the other flank of H.'s position. The beat 

 was long, and appeared to be somewhat stragglingly 

 performed. First a spaniel came to me, but I stoned 

 him back into covert. Then came a hare, and then 

 a roe. I walked quietly to the left when this last 

 animal appeared, but could not get a clear shot, and 

 withheld my fire. In this I w^as right, for very soon 

 afterwards the shouts of a shepherd on the hill drew 

 my attention to a stumpy black body going best pace 

 outside the upper edge of the cover. I ran on to 

 meet the boar, but unfortunately I did not know 

 the ground. All I saw was a black shadow fleeting 

 through the thorn bushes when five yards further 

 would have given me a certain shot, as I found out 

 when too late. By this time it was pouring, and I 

 was glad to get into my cape and make my way back 

 to H.'s stand to lunch. Here I heard that several 

 pig had broken back, and also that the beaters had 

 come on a fine dead boar, shot about a fortnight 

 before, of which they produced the tusks. 



Our first after -lunch beat resulted in a comical 

 error. I quite misconceived the position, for, being 

 sent down a narrow ride between two patches of 

 thick covert, I naturally faced to windward, and, in 

 fact, was smoking, when suddenly the beaters opened 

 behind me, and at once their yells and the notes of 

 the dogs announced " pig on foot." Of course they 

 (there were two) broke back, and I am convinced that 



