132 REMINISCENCES OF PIG-STICKING. 



bush. The elephants were left a long way behind, so 

 we were in difficulties as to getting out the boar, and 

 were very anxious to finish him, as close to the cover 

 he had taken shelter was another long bit of jungle 

 going right up to the village. Though we could not 

 see the pig, we could hear him and the crack, crack of 

 the spear shaft as it broke, and the rustling showed 

 that piggy was gradually working his way towards the 

 village. We took our position in the only opening 

 there was when, without any warning, out charged the 

 boar nearly unseating Morey who, however, got a good 

 spear in and left it also in the pig, and this prevented 

 his getting into the jungle again, and after a vain 

 attempt to get up and charge he went down on his 

 haunches never to rise again. This boar was almost 

 the facsimile of the first one we killed, and stood half 

 an inch higher. Ferguson's spear-shaft was broken a 

 foot or so from the blade, and this must have been done 

 when piggy was forcing his way through the jungle. 



Feeling rather dry we rode back to the patiale and, 

 while waiting for the elephants and beaters, had sundry 

 pegs and cheeroots, and as soon as they came up the beat 

 was resumed. Several pigs were soon out, but unfor- 

 tunately all of them breaking back in the village jungle 

 and preferring the shelter of the pan or betel gardens 

 to facing the open, a sow with half a dozen youngsters 

 going alone across the open. A sporting pariah dog, 

 seeing the prospect of a dainty meal, tried hard to get 

 hold of one of the squeakers ; but the hustling the old 



