ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 143 



ceeded to examine the ground round the cypress, and on 

 coming to within a few yards of the tree on which our look- 

 out man had been posted, they came on the tracks of the boar, 

 leading up the bank. The villain had either slept on his post, 

 or had been amusing himself by watching our runs in the 

 morning, and had allowed the boar to pass up the bank un- 

 observed. The footprints were not to be mistaken, for the 

 boar was of the largest size. 



Leaving the river, he had made a detour of about two 

 miles in the open country, which, though cultivated, was at 

 this season quite bare of crops. Our men were equal to the 

 occasion, and taking up the track they moved quickly along, 

 scoring the ground at every few yards with a short stick 

 across the prints of the boar's hoofs. We now found that he 

 was crossing a wide bend in the river, and that the tracks 

 would again fall into the bed of the stream. The trackers 

 moved fast and sure, and we followed close in their wake 

 with the crowd of beaters. At length we came to where a 

 smaller stream joined the river, and on the ground between 

 the two was a crop of irrigated maize, about ten feet in height, 

 and looking very cool and green. The smaller stream was 

 about fifteen yards in width, slow and sluggish, having about 

 a foot of water, and an equal amount of black mud below it. 

 We had crossed and sent the beaters to the end next the junction 

 of the streams, when we heard much yelling and shouting, and 

 next moment the boar came out at speed, and dashed down the 

 slope into the stream we had just crossed. Bulkley was only 

 a few yards from him, and driving in his spurs he rushed 

 down the bank, regardless or forgetful of the muddy bottom. 

 His horse seemed to turn heels over head, and as I checked 

 mine and floundered slowly across, he was picking himself 

 out of the black mud and shaking his steed to his legs again. 



