186 MODERN PIG-STICKING 



the line starts. The line should at first go slowly 

 and quietly, as, if they start quickly with too much 

 noise, an old boar is more likely to lie still and refuse 

 to move himself, and send out the sows and 

 bachas ; and while the heats are searching amongst 

 those for a boar the wily old man breaks away back 

 and probably escapes. When a boar breaks, the 

 charkuwala signals him away, and the heat use 

 their whistles, which is a signal for the line to halt. 

 As regards the riding of the boar, the first 

 thing to remember is that " first spear " is nothing, 

 killing the boar is everything, and every move 

 must be subordinated to this end. The heat should 

 not ride one behind the other, but spread out. 

 Thus if the boar gets into difficult country or jungle, 

 the man on the boar continues to ride him as far 

 as he can (whistling as long as he is on him), whilst 

 the others go ahead and mark out on the other side, 

 whistling with all their might if they see the boar 

 going away. Once a boar has been speared he is 

 an ugly customer, and should be treated with all 

 respect. I do not recommend a novice to go up 

 to a wounded boar at a slow pace. I advise him 

 to get behind him slightly to the left and gallop 

 past him, when the boar will probably turn in on 

 him and give him a chance of delivering a real good 

 spear ; the boar should not be allowed to get in 

 too close to the horse before spearing, but should 

 be taken well away from the horse, and well in 

 advance of him, and should be speared just behind 

 the shoulder. This will save the horse. The spear 

 should never be thrust at the pig, but the pig 

 should be made to run on to the point of the spear. 

 There should be no delay in trying to finish off 

 a wounded boar when once speared ; humanity 



