KHOLEBAD KHOR OR GRASS-HUNTING. 115 



up to see what it was we only saw what appeared to 

 be heaps of earth thrown up by rats, and so they were. 

 But Mr. Pig, who must have had a good deal of humour 

 about him, seeing, I suppose, some affinity between 

 himself and the rodent mounds had gone and lain him- 

 self close alongside them, and for all the world, at first 

 sight, he might have been mistaken for one of them. 

 Female weakness sealed his fate, for anxious, I suppose, 

 to see how far we had gone, he quietly raised his head to 

 have a good look, and we could see by his fast-heaving 

 sides that he was having a most unpleasant time of it. 

 Up went his bristles, and with angry grunts he charged 

 right in the midst of us, knocking over one of the 

 syces, and then dashing through the grass he made for 

 the patiale. The going was soft in some places, so 

 piggy, who was going along the ridges had the advan- 

 tage, but we soon found ourselves on firmer ground, and 

 away we went. Those two old racers — The Tyke and 

 Cremorne — were a caution. Molesworth, who rode the 

 latter, had soon left the pig and the scene of action be- 

 hind, and was making tracks for the factory; while Hayes, 

 on The Tyke, was scarcely better off ; though he did not 

 quite get out of sight. The boar, who must have been 

 somewhat perplexed at the erratic riding going on, turned 

 round and made a vicious charge at the Shrimp, whose 

 horse he cut in the chest. The slight prod piggy got 

 made him only the more savage, and he went jumping 

 to meet Archie Hills who got a good spear in, the 

 spear snaping a foot or so from the blade. This made 



