PLEASURES AND PERILS OF PIG-STICKING 



O of the Indian Civil Service, my horse was knocked 



completely off his legs by a savage boar. As a result 

 of the encounter I was laid up for several days with broken 

 ribs, while my horse was so badly ripped that it had to be 

 destroyed ! 



The secret of riding a hog successfully is to ride as close 

 up to him as possible, keeping him on the right or spear side. 

 The horse must be kept so thoroughly in hand as to be 

 able to turn at once with every " jink " or turn made by 

 the pig. 



The pace of the horse, too, should be as near as possible 

 at full speed, in order to blow the pig and take away his wind 

 in the first brunt, otherwise he will probably run for miles, 

 hence if either from the slowness of the horse, or the 

 difficulties of the ground, the pace cannot be kept up, there 

 is always the danger of losing the pig. 



It would take pages to describe all the various incidents, 

 accidents, and adventures which fall to the lot of all who 

 have ridden after pig, for it is a sport eminently sui generis, 

 and one in which the sportsman, while exposed to every 

 danger attendant on fox-hunting, must also run the risk 

 of being attacked by the animal hunted. Nevertheless, 

 it is just this spice of danger which, as I have said already, 

 gives to this sport its extraordinary fascination. 



While stationed at Sholapur, I had the misfortune to 

 lose a very favourite dog, a fox-terrier called Snap, but under 

 circumstances which had such an extraordinarily tragic 

 sequel, that I am tempted to record this otherwise, 

 apparently, trivial incident. 



On arrival one morning, while on tour, at a new camping 

 ground, my butler brought me the dead body of the dog, 

 who, as usual, had been sent ahead with the camp kit, under 

 the charge of the dog-boy. I examined the body and found 

 some foam and saliva round the mouth. 



The butler explained that the dog, who was travelling 

 in the cart with the servants, had suddenly become restless, 

 and finally had bitten the dog-boy and the dhoby,* and 

 becoming very violent, they had been obliged to kill him. 

 Neither of the two persons bitten seemed any the worse, 



* Washerman. 



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