ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 139 



He was, however, a very fast pony, and entered fully into the 

 spirit of the chase, and would double and turn after a boar 

 almost of his own accord. The pig made across an enclosed 

 country, and gave us some sharp scrambles over and through 

 the cactus hedges. At length he turned and made for the 

 river, the bank of which at this place was rather abrupt. We 

 were close on him when he dashed into the broad shallow 

 stream, but the uneven sand was scooped out in parts by the 

 action of the water, and we had two or three desperate floun- 

 ders before reaching the other side. Here we came on a con- 

 siderable breadth of cypress, which would be under water in 

 the rainy season, and beyond this, at a distance of some 300 

 yards, was the other bank of the river, a steep slope of 30 or 

 40 feet. The cypress covert was all ridge and furrow, caused 

 by floods, and was very awkward to cross at a rapid pace. 

 The boar held on as though he would go up the bank, and, 

 thinking to spear him on the ascent, Johnson urged his horse 

 to the front, but, with a sudden swerve, the pig turned up the 

 river, while the horse shot up the bank and was completely 

 thrown out. My galloway behaved admirably, turning sharp 

 with the boar, and, as we were now running up the sandy 

 furrows, we were enabled to put no more steam. The boar, 

 however, kept his lead, and Johnson, who was galloping along 

 the top of the bank, and unable to find a place to descend, 

 could not render any assistance. At length I began to close 

 on the pig, and had made up my mind that I was to get the 

 tushes, when, to my horror, my friend, with his horse quite 

 fresh, having found a path down the bank, came by me hand 

 over hand, and shooting past took the first spear. I gave the 

 second, and the boar fell dead. Johnson was greatly excited, 

 and his conscience smote him for depriving me of the spear 

 for which I had worked so hard. " By Jove," said he, " you 



