364 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



expected. In this case the knife may be smaller, so 

 that it may go in the cartridge bag. No sportsman 

 who has ever felt the gaze of a wounded deer upon 

 him, when he was unprovided with the means of releasing 

 it from its misery, will fail to know why. The knife I 

 use for this purpose is Toledo steel, the blade being 

 only four and a quarter inches long, whereas my 

 hunting-knife par excellence is over ten inches (see 

 p. 238). It may be as well to add that in some 

 countries, e.g., Italy, the possession of such a knife is 

 illegal, but an Englishman can obtain a permit to 

 carry one through any Consulate. 



c. Spears. 



Where much dangerous game exists I have 

 generally used as a walking-stick a hog spear, some 

 six feet long, the blade being covered with a soft 

 leather sheath which can be instantly removed. I 

 cannot say that I personally have ever had occasion to 

 use it, J}ut nevertheless I advocate the practice, es- 

 pecially in hot climates, where it is really impossible to 

 carry a heavy rifle oneself all day. A friend of mine 

 had a spear for this purpose with a detachable head 

 fastened with a bayonet catch. This, however, takes a 

 trifle longer to get ready, and the spear-head is an 

 extra article hanging at one's belt. I have sometimes 

 thought that the hunting-knife might be fitted with a 

 sword bayonet handle for this purpose, but I have 

 never practically made the experiment. As a rule, in 

 wild countries, things cannot be made too simple. 



