Hog-hunting 185 



so must have doubled, and keeping close under the 

 lee of the bushes, got away, for neither C. nor S. saw 

 him again. " He lived to fight another day." 



It was too hot to go on, so we made for the tents, I 

 leading my horse. S. had got an awful cropper by 

 his horse coming down ; result : the loss of a tooth. 

 During breakfast Prendergast pitched into me for 

 having ridden my gray. " It would make an admir- 

 able charger," he said, " or do for a park hack, but 

 for hunting it was far too excitable, and so dangerous." 

 I may here say I sold him soon afterwards to the 

 adjutant of a regiment of native infantry. In the 

 afternoon P. put me on his English horse. I felt 

 like a fly on an elephant. We saw pig, but I was no- 

 where. I did not admire this immense steed. That 

 evening, after a good dinner, we all retired early to 

 rest, and were awakened at 4.30 A.M. This time we 

 went up the river several miles, and beat the different 

 small islands. I was on my chestnut. Eiding along 

 quickly through a piece of long grass, just ahead of 

 me I saw a three-parts-grown boar, listening intently 

 to the noise made by the beaters. He had either not 

 heard me, or if he had, he did not seem to care, 

 sp, driving in the spurs, I was instantly almost on the 

 top of him. This time I held the spear straight, and 

 drew not only first blood, but killed, before any of 

 the others came up. That day four boars were killed, 

 and I fleshed my spear in one, and repelled two 

 charges creditably ; so at least Prendergast said. 

 Thus I was at last fairly entered to this glorious sport. 



The next day we beat a further and isolated hill. 

 I was riding a boar as fast as my horse could lay feet 

 to the ground, when down he went on his head, and 



