332 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



tion, he resolutely resisted his not unnatural inclina- 

 tion to fire, and " ordered " his weapon with stern 

 determination. 



" Hoora ! one's down ! " shouted Hawkes ; " and 

 there is another hard hit. Come along ! " And 

 getting hold of a second gun, he ran after one which 

 showed symptoms of distress, as it lagged behind 

 its fellows, now disappearing over a slope. " Come 

 along ! it can't go far ! " 



Mackenzie ran off with his young companion. 

 Norman hesitated for one moment. " The beast is 

 wounded ; it should be put out of its pain ! " he 

 ejaculated, and then started after his comrades. 

 Fleet of foot, he soon outstripped them ; and on 

 gaining the top of the acclivity over which the 

 wounded pig had disappeared, he detected it stand- 

 ing in a hollow below. Pulling up, and rapidly 

 aiming, he fired ; and the porker was in the next 

 moment on his back, kicking. 



" His porcine spirit has fled from its frail tene- 

 ment, as the newspapers say," observed Hawkes, 

 who was not long in joining his friend over the now 

 motionless pig. 



" Hoora ! " shouted Mackenzie, as he came up, 

 blowing like a grampus. " There will be something 

 like food now." 



" Ah, Mac ! how could you ? " said Norman, 



