18 THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 



gripe as I could command, while the 

 Frenchman was munching his tail. 



This interesting occupation so entirely 

 engrossed us, that we heard not the 

 approach of (I presume) the defunct lady- 

 boar's liege lord. The nether end of the 

 garde de chasse faced the advancing boar, 

 which rushed furiously between his legs, 

 but fortunately without doing him any 

 injury. Lucky was it for him also that he 

 had a capacious stride, and that he was 

 stooping at the moment, otherwise he 

 must have been seriously injured. By 

 this rude shock the garde and myself 

 were both upset, and Belcher released 

 from his hold. The unexpected visitor 

 seemed for the moment as disconcerted 

 as ourselves ; for there lay his lady-love, 

 dead, and covered with gore, and in the 

 company of strangers. 



I had been told that a boar would run 

 at and gore a person, but would never 



