Hog- hunting. 2 o i 



and sent in some forty beaters to drive a sounder 

 out of the dry bed of a tank. This time D. and A., 

 Gr. and E., F. and I, and C. and B. were together, 

 stationed two and two on each side of the cover. At 

 first the pigs would not break, which was wise of 

 them, for all round was open paddy fields, and the 

 nearest cover a mile and a half away. The head 

 man of the beaters now came up to us, and said, 

 " Feeders of the poor, we have beaten through and 

 through several times, and though there are many 

 pigs, they will not leave." "Kattle it through the 

 other way," we replied, and off the man went ; and, 

 with tom-toms beating, cholera horns sounding, and 

 the most discordant yells, they reversed the experi- 

 ment. The pigs evidently did not know what to 

 make of it, and first one and then another took 

 towards where D. and A. and G. and E. were 

 stationed, and both were quickly accounted for. More 

 yells and unearthly noises, then another boar broke 

 near D. and A. We were nearly a mile off, but 

 could see the various chases as well as if we had 

 been engaged in them ourselves ; but to remain 

 quiescent so long, and with no prospect of any game 

 coming to us, was too trying ; so, seeing that D. 

 and A. were both pumped and riding gingerly, 

 while we were quite fresh having procured re- 

 mounts, I being on my famous gray I voted we 

 should cut in and have a try for a spear. It looked 

 almost hopeless, for D. and A. were the two best 

 riders and most experienced pig-stickers amongst us ; 

 but, "nothing venture, nothing win," so, taking our 

 steeds in hand, we cut across country diagonally. I 

 was overhauling D., who was taking matters very 



