Hog-hunting. 195 



inflicted by myself, lie was mine. My companion, in 

 his anxiety to get the first spear, had missed, and 

 driven his blade well into the ground, where he found 

 it. A syce running up with fresh spears, I was soon 

 astride again, and had ridden but a few yards when 

 another boar got up. I went for him, but a nasty 

 marsh was close at hand, and in a few seconds I was 

 floundering in the mire and had to give up the chase, 

 whilst the boar, with a series of bounds, got through 

 the difficulty and escaped. Rej oining C. , we rode back 

 and found that A. and B. were still following their 

 game, which, though severely wounded, doubled back 

 and received a spear from us both ; but these we could 

 not withdraw, so waited for fresh ones. A. and B. 

 then delivered theirs, and they, too, remained in the 

 boar ! What a plucky brute a wild pig is, to be sure. 

 Here was this poor animal charging us all round, look- 

 ing like a monstrous porcupine, with the four spears 

 standing upright in his body ! Soon we were armed 

 again, but to get within spearing distance was the 

 difficulty, for with every bound our foe gave and he 

 was not indolent the shafts spun about like the arms 

 of a windmill, and, as they were heavily leaded they 

 could inflict severe blows, so we were some time 

 dodging him and them. But at last spear after spear 

 was driven home, and our gallant antagonist gave up 

 the ghost without once uttering either a groan or a 

 cry of pain. Thus dies the wild boar ever silent to 

 the bitter end, and almost invariably with his face to 

 the foe. 



D., K, F., and G. now rode up. They had killed 

 four boars, and, as our horses were blown, we rode 

 quietly to a tope about a mile off, where our breakfast 



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