THE NAGPUR HUNT 163 



of the forward parties. We are dismounted and 

 resting our horses, but keeping a sharp look-out. 

 We see a flagman gently waving in the direction 

 of a pig which has passed him, but which as yet 

 we cannot see. Now mount quietly and wait, 

 keeping under cover. " Ah, there he is, a 32 

 incher, I think." He stops and looks forward, 

 sees no enemy, and, reassured, lobs on. Your pony 

 pricks his ears, and his heart goes hammering 

 against your legs. " No, youngster, back ; will you 

 keep back ! " Now at a word from the captain of 

 our party we move gently out, any excess of zeal 

 on the part of the rank and file being sternly 

 repressed. We get between the boar and cover, 

 and break into a slow trot to nurse him away. 

 Now comes the question of judgment. How far 

 can one let him go ? We must not start riding 

 too soon or he will double back to cover ; nor too 

 late or he will be into the sendhi ban he has his eye 

 on before we can lay him out. But our captain 

 is an old hand, and knows the jungle well ; he 

 breaks into a canter and we spread out into a line 

 on each side of him, but kept well in hand from 

 fear of that terrible vocabulary. The pig has not 

 yet realized we are after him, and goes quietly 

 lobbing along. We increase our pace a bit, and 

 now he realizes we mean business, and off he goes 

 at speed. Faster we go, but not pressing him too 

 much. He is not yet safely away from the jungle 

 he has left, but we know that our time is very near, 

 and we watch our captain out of the corner of our 

 eye. As the hoarse, fierce " Ride " comes from 

 his lips our ponies bound forward, and it is a wild 

 race for first spear. For a time we do not gain at 

 all. Then our youngster on a fast tearing pony 



