chap. vii. HUNTING WITH DOGS. 337 



to be a slight shake, and down went the dog, hors de 

 combat. The other, a wise animal, confined himself to 

 the flanks and rear, and though its antagonist made 

 some very nasty-looking twists round it never caught 

 him with its tusks. I was very savage at seeing poor 

 Leauw so treated (though I did not then know that 

 the wound was mortal), as he was one of my best dogs, 

 and ran down as fast as I could to the assistance of his 

 comrade. When the boar saw me, he as usual trotted off 

 grunting, but so slowly that in five minutes I was along- 

 side, the dog holding on to his stern ; and then, carefully 

 picking out the exact place behind the shoulder which 

 practice had taught me led to the heart, and using both 

 hands, I rammed the spear home with my full strength. 

 As I made the thrust he wheeled, and with a rapid 

 movement stretched me at full length on the ground, 

 while a sudden pain in the calf of my leg followed by the 

 warm rush of blood proved that he also had not missed 

 his aim. I lay still for a moment, half expecting another 

 attack ; but on raising my head and not seeing the animal, 

 I got up, and could then just make it out disappearing in 

 the edge of the reeds, the spear still sticking up and the 

 dog in attendance. On examining my cut, I found that 

 it was a nasty gash, though cleanly done as if by a 

 knife, and the blood flowed so freely as to give colour to a 

 suspicion that some important artery was severed — a most 

 unpleasant one when the means of stopping hemorrhage 

 are totally wanting ; and as my spear had been carried 

 off, there was nothing for it but to get back to camp. 

 Finding on my arrival there that the bleeding still con- 

 tinued, though to a less degree, I remained at home, but 



Y 



