130 REMINISCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN. 



other brushwood, about ten miles from the capital, 

 several wild boars bad been seen, he decided that we 

 should have a grand hunt on horseback, with our guns 

 and a leash of his large rough greyhounds. Early next 

 morning we mustered a strong party, having been joined 

 by some Piedmontese noblemen, and all in the highest 

 spirits in the anticipation of a good boar hunt, and we 

 soon arrived at the champ de hataille. Being all drawn 

 up in a straight line about twenty yards apart, they 

 commenced beating, and half an hour had scarcely 

 elapsed before a wild boar was started from his lair. 

 As soon as the greyhounds got sight of him, away we 

 all went helter-skelter like madmen, hooting and halloo- 

 ing. For a short time the boar ran with such extraor- 

 dinary speed that he fairly outstripped the greyhounds ; 

 but his wind at last failing him, they came up with their 

 prey, and a fierce conflict took place between the grey- 

 hounds and the boar. Those horsemen who arrived first 

 watched a favourable opportunity to fire at the boar 

 without wounding the dogs. This I also did, taking 

 aim at his head, but one of the greyhounds having 

 seized him by the ear, I unfortunately knocked out the 

 eye-tooth of one of Mr. Hill's best greyhounds, but at 

 the same time I wounded the animal in the head. I 

 felt exceedingly annoyed at this accident, but Mr. Hill, 

 with his usual good nature, received kindly my apologies, 

 saying only that he was sorry it had happened to his 

 favourite dog, who was always so fierce and resolute in 

 his attack on wild boars. In the course of the day we 

 found another boar, but we did not derive much sport, 

 for soon after he was started he was shot by one of the 

 party. We returned to Cagliari highly satisfied with 



