34 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. n. 



away, and he generally comes to bay after a run of 

 ten minutes' duration. 



A boar always chooses the very thickest part of 

 the jungle as his position for a bay, and from this he 

 makes continual rushes at the hounds. 



The huntsman approaches the scene of the combat, 

 breaking his way with difficulty through the tangled 

 jungle, until within about twenty yards of the bay. 

 He now cheers the hounds on to the attack, and if 

 they are worthy of their name, they instantly rush in 

 to the boar regardless of wounds. The huntsman is 

 aware of the seizure by the grunting of the boar and 

 the tremendous confusion in the thick jungle ; he im- 

 mediately rushes to the assistance of the pack, knife 

 in hand. 



A scene of real warfare meets his view — gaping 

 wounds upon his best hounds, the boar rushing 

 through the jungle covered with dogs, and he himself 

 becomes the immediate object of his fury when 

 observed. 



No time is to be lost. Keeping behind the boar if 

 possible, he rushes to the bloody conflict, and drives 

 the hunting-knife between the shoulders in the en- 

 deavour to divide the spine. Should he happily effect 

 this, the boar falls stone dead ; but if not, he repeats 

 the thrust, keeping a good look-out for the animal's 

 tusks. 



If the dogs were of not sufficient courage to rush in 



