THE " PATIALE " ON FlUE. 41 



Lyall close behind him on a grey Cabullee, while Rober- 

 ton's steed seemed to be going like an old steam-engine, 

 and it was all Bob could do to hold the old " Colonel " 

 and follow the pig, while the way he held his spear — ship's 

 yard fashion — showed he was not very well at ease ! ! To 

 us, standing and looking on, it seemed as if the pig was 

 getting away : he had turned round now and was making 

 for the patiale we had first beaten in the morning. To 

 us the excitement was even greater than to those who 

 were following the pig. It sounds tame when written — 

 but to us with our eyes scanning to catch every move- 

 ment of the riders and the pig, the blood through our 

 veins running faster and faster, the beating of our hearts 

 getting louder and louder, till every other mortal thought 

 is forgotten for the time being — -the excitement was in- 

 tense. The big mare covered much more ground than she 

 appeared to do, and the boar, seeing Archie Hills trying 

 to cut off his retreat from the friendly cover of the patiale, 

 made strait for him. A good spear, though rather a little 

 too far behind, made him pull up rather astonished ; 

 Lyall coming up got a second spear, and a third spear 

 from Archie made him totter and soon after roll over dead. 

 He was a very fine and heavy pig, very fat and lusty, 

 and was what I should call a Baboo among the soors ! ! ! 

 After this first boar had been duly measured and 

 criticized— he measured 38^" with a very good head — a 

 move was again made towards the patiale ; the ele- 

 phants who had halted were again ordered to advance. 

 A few bombs had scarcely been let off than a regular 



