482 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



broke. In less than a quarter of an hour there was a hubbub all 

 along the line, the mahouts shouting, prodding their elephants, 

 who were crying aloud and endeavouring to break back and 

 showing all the signs of being in a stew. We at first thought 

 that the commotion had been caused by a tiger, but presently 

 a sounder of fifteen or sixteen pigs appeared. We let them 

 go for a couple of hundred yards, and then W. shouted, 

 " Ride ! " I was just about to ram in the spurs, but looking 

 backwards for a moment, I saw a grey old boar trotting along 

 leisurely, champing his tushes and giving glances backwards, 

 as if more than half inclined to charge the leviathans that had 

 disturbed him from his beauty sleep. The sounder that had 

 gone ahead contained two largish boars, but the one now 

 coming up was a veritable Goliath. Williamson had a good 

 start, and in a straight run my nags had not a ghost of a 

 chance with his mare, so I determined to go for the grey boar. 

 I had to restrain my steed, who, generally placid enough, had 

 plenty of pluck in him, and he got excited at hearing W.'s cry 

 and seeing his mare go off full speed, and naturally wished to 

 follow. 



By the time the veteran had passed me, my comrade was 

 half-a-mile away ; I gave the quarry a hundred yards' grace 

 and then started in pursuit. " Pekoe " was very fresh, and 

 galloped along, pulling double. Hearing a clatter behind him, 

 the boar looked back with his wicked old eyes, hesitated a 

 moment, seemed half inclined to bring our encounter to an 

 issue at once by charging, but the array of elephants was fast 

 approaching ; he changed his mind and resumed his flight at 

 an accelerated speed ; with his bristles on end he looked 

 nearly as big as " Pekoe," and although not going full speed, 

 for he did not hurry himself, he got over the ground wonder- 

 fully. I let my nag go his best ; but after going a quarter of 

 a mile I only gained a little, he was still 50 yards ahead. 

 There was a small patch of grass in front into which he 

 bounded, and I too, a second or two after him. Unused to 

 carrying the short spear, which is held with the blade down- 

 wards, I was somewhat bothered, but I was fairly ready, 

 though not expecting to come across the enemy for another 

 200 or 300 yards ; but I had not been in the cover above 



