THE WILD BOAR. 99 



manner of hunting them, is as follows : to go with bare feet 

 up the wind, profiting by the inequalities of the ground and 

 the trees, which allow one to approach without being seen, 

 stopping when the animal listens, and walking when its 

 snout is busy in the ground. In this way a boar, when 

 alone, can be approached within thirty paces. It is more 

 difficult when there are several, for there is always one who 

 listens, in order to give warning at the least noise. 



Almost all the boars in the market are killed in this man- 

 ner ; but I advise Europeans to provide themselves with cloth 

 socks, in order not to tear their feet on the stones and bram- 

 bles, across which, the Arabs are able to walk as readily as 

 they would on the grass. 



Those native chiefs who hunt the boar for pleasure, choose 

 the summer to hunt in the plain, and winter in the woods. 

 In the three provinces of Algeria, there are a great number 

 of lakes and swamps covered with reeds, which the boars 

 share in common with the ducks and other wild fowl. 

 When the water is low, from June to September, the wild 

 hog takes refuge in some small bushy islands which have 

 only to be set on fire in order to drive them out. 



This duty is delegated to men on foot, while the horsemen 

 draw up in a body on the plain, ready to fall upon the ani- 

 mals that the fire had forced to break cover. This hunt is 

 full of attraction, and sometimes danger, when a strong old 

 boar is driven into the open plain. It is not rare to see one, 

 after having been attacked, attack in his turn, and rip up the 

 greyhounds that are bold enough to try to stop him, or the 



