206 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



such was the impetus that the boar knocked the fore- 

 legs of the chestnut from under him, and both came 

 heavily to the ground. The horse galloped away, 

 and as the foe continued his course, I kept up the 

 chase. There was nothing unusual in the size or 

 appearance of the boar ; but he emitted a most dis- 

 agreeable odour. To this I attribute the country-bred's 

 behaviour, for he refused to close, and, when pressed, 

 kicked and reared. I lost my temper, and felled him 

 with a blow between the ears from the loaded butt- 

 end of my spear. I had no intention of flooring my 

 mount, and ought not have struck him as I did, so 

 what followed I thoroughly deserved. Seeing us on 

 the ground, the boar charged. The nag was quicker 

 on his legs than myself, but, instead of running away, 

 rushed open-mouthed at the enemy, who cleverly 

 avoided the attack, and got between the horse's legs, 

 ripping his stomach from the chest to the pelvis, the 

 whole entrails dropping to the ground. The boar eyed 

 his victim for a moment, but seeing him motionless, 

 turned his attention to me. I jumped aside, so avoid- 

 ing the rush, and gave my assailant a deep stab in the 

 side as he passed by. Badly wounded as he was, he 

 turned again, and once more rushed at me. This 

 time I held the spear firmly pointed for his chest. 

 The monster ran up the steel, bearing me down with 

 his weight, and fell on me, dead ! Faugh ! How can 

 I describe the agonies I suffered, not only from the 

 weight of the animal, for my chest and ribs felt as if 

 they were being staved in, but from the abominable 

 stench that his carcase emitted. The smell from a 

 boar when clean is bad enough, but this brute had 

 been rolling in some awful filth, and, being covered 



