JJIO THE STORY OF l^HE WILD BOAR. 



gristle are the thickest, and that, as there is Httle or no blood in that part, 

 the poison is not carried through the system, so that the animal experi- 

 ences no ill-effects from the virus. .Whenever a serpent is spied, the pig, 

 with erected bristles, rushes right upon it, and, indifferent to the formidable 

 fangs that are perhaps sticking in its own hide, bites the reptile in pieces and 

 then devours it, 



I once witnessed a hunt for babirusa bv the natives of Celibes. 



The animals being driven into a curral with a V-shaped opening and 

 flanked by netting, we had plenty of time to wait before the sport began, 

 and meanwhile the natives arranged themselves at their posts. One stood 

 at the door of the curral, ready to close it directly any animal rushed in; 

 others took up their places on either side of the wide entrance, while 

 the remainder crouched in front of the long net at intervals of a few yards, 

 each grasping his spear, and hidden from view by a huge Livistonia (a kind 

 of palm) frond. We had not long been settled before a peculiar barking 

 grunt in the distance announced the arrival of the first victim. Everyone 

 was instantly motionless, and directly afterwards a dark object dashed up at 

 great speed and buried itself in the net a short way down the slope. There 

 was a short struggle, and in less than five minutes the captive, a full-grown 

 female babirusa, was quietly reposing on her back, with her legs tied together 

 with rattan, and we were once more in ambush for the next comer. We 

 were hardly quiet before the same peculiar sound was heard rapidly ap- 

 proaching, and the next moment a magnificent old boar babirusa rushed 

 past within five yards of us, and plunged into the net between our tree and 

 the entrance to the curral. His long tusks became entangled in the meshes, 

 and the natives ran up to spear him. Just at this moment, however, he 

 broke loose, and, turning on his antagonists, scattered them in all direc- 

 tions. It was a most determined charge, and, as we were unable to fire for 

 fear of hitting some of our own men, it might have proved a serious affair 

 for the native he singled out. After some trouble the animal was, however, 

 finally despatched with a spear-thrust, but, even with four spears buried in 

 his body, the old boar died game, striving to the very last to get at his 

 antagonists. 



