322 A BOAR HUNT BY MOONLIGHT 



hollow-chested, had long spindle shanks and a crooked 

 back, great red hands, and huge feet ; he stammered in 

 his speech, and his behaviour towards ladies was like 

 that of a young sporting dog who is being fondled. 



' But Herr Vomhammel,' objected the steward, ' you 

 could easily shoot one of them, but you would find it 

 rather dangerous to come to such close quarters.' 



' Ah, ha,' laughed Fraulein Anna, the steward's pretty 

 eighteen-year-old daughter, whose chief delight it was to 

 tease poor Vomhammel, ' Herr Vomhammel would take 

 to his heels as soon as ever he heard a pig grunt.' 



' Upon m-m-my honour, F-f -fraulein,' he stammered 

 in self-defence, ' I would let f-f-fire with my good revolver, 

 straight on a wild b-b-boar if only it stood still.' 



Everyone laughed, but the book-keeper did not seem 

 the least aware of it, and looked round triumphantly. 



' An idea occurs to me, however,' said the steward ; 

 ' by ten o'clock to-night the moon will be up, so let us 

 invite all the peasants, and especially Ivan Meschkoff, 

 the choir leader, Who is experienced in boar hunts, to join 

 us in a raid against them to-night. As you all know, the 

 peasants are not allowed to have firearms, but make use, 

 after the old Euthenian fashion, of their pikes and 

 pitchforks, once their dogs have brought the creatures to 

 bay. If we were to drive in light sledges through the 

 forest near to the pea-stacks, we might surprise the pigs, 

 and by cutting off their retreat, the dogs that we should 

 take in the sledges with us could not fail to seize some 

 of the herd.' 



This proposition met with general assent, the ladies 

 even wishing to join in this sledge expedition, which 

 seemed likely to be free from all danger. The peasants 

 were soon ready, and by nine o'clock assembled, to the 

 number of thirty, under the leadership of the gigantic 

 bearded Ivan Meschkoff, each accompanied by one, or 

 perhaps two, middle-sized but powerful cross-bred dogs, 

 held in the leash. From the village they went to the 



