FIGHT WITH A BOAR. 83 



snake had awoke, and like the giant in the fairy story of 

 my boyhood with a " fee-fie-fo-fum," was coming after me; 

 but the tips of a deer's antlers as it rushed through the high 

 grass relieved my nerves. I do not know what one would do 

 if a big python made up his mind to dine off you, but from 

 the lightning quickness with which I have seen one seize a 

 squirrel, one would not have much time to think about it. 



When on this excursion, I had fired at and badly 

 wounded a large boar, and thinking I could easily finish him 

 with a spear, a sort of halbert, which the lopas who accom- 

 pany the carriage are armed with, I took one and went in at 

 the boar, who kept making half charges at me from a thick 

 bush in which he had taken shelter. On receiving him on 

 the point of the spear in one of these charges the wretched 

 weapon crumpled up altogether. I dropped it and turned 

 round for the gun, but the bearer had bolted, and there was 

 nothing for it but to try to catch him. I heard the 

 champing of the angry boar's tusks behind me, so I put on 

 a spurt and soon overtook the runaway, and seizing the 

 rifle stopped the boar. 



I was much disappointed in not even seeing a single 

 banting (wild bull). I have been close to them and their 

 fresh footprints have often raised my hopes, only to be frus- 

 trated by some blundering attendants frightening them or by 

 some other contretemps quite as annoying. I was also most 

 anxious to shoot a rhinoceros ; but again I was out of luck. 

 One of these beasts had committed much havoc amongst 

 the gardens of the neighbourhood where I was staying 

 and one moonlight night we drove out to try and intercept 

 him in a garden he frequented. It was a full moon, and 

 we were full of hope. The watchers came to say the 



