H El MAN'S DATCH. ior 



round us. Looking from the sea you saw nothing 

 but endless hills, growing gradually into moun- 

 tains, as they receded farther and farther from the 

 shore. Everywhere they seemed covered with 

 forest, the greater part of which was composed 

 of Spanish chestnut trees. Except a solitary 

 eagle, a few porpoises rolling about near in shore, 

 and one of my men coming down now to col- 

 lect driftwood, there was no sign of life anywhere. 

 After helping to light the fire and brew the tea, I 

 sent Yepheern to look for the horses, which were 

 nowhere in sight, and meanwhile Ivan and I took 

 our rifles and tried another part of the forest. 

 We had gone but a very little way when the 

 dog gave tongue, and was evidently driving some- 

 thing through the bushes towards us. Ivan ran 

 in one direction, I in another, to cut off the 

 game. Standing behind a big tree at the foot 

 of a small hill, covered with rhododendron clumps, 

 I heard a rustling through the covert, such as 

 some small animal might make if quietly forcing 

 his way through. I never dreamed it was our 

 game, but was still intently listening for the crash- 

 ing charge I was beginning to know so well. 

 Looking in the direction of the rustling, I was 

 thunderstruck to see three magnificent grey old 

 boars following one another in single file down 

 hill, straight to my tree. The almost cat-like 

 noiselessness with which large and clumsy animals 



