A SPORTING TRIP TO FRANCE. 



the morrow ; and from what I could make out, 

 every one had slaughtered several thousands of 

 these betes feroces, and that the remainder of 

 those that still existed were in danger of being 

 totally exterminated next day. 



The way they have of finding out the slot of 

 a boar is not a bad one. The louvetiere (chief 

 wolf killer of the department), if it is with his 

 hounds you are boar hunting, sends out one of 

 his piqueurs at break of day with an old steady 

 hound well used to such work. He has a collar 

 round his neck with a cord attached to it ; the 

 end of this the piqueur holds, and looks at all 

 the paths the boar may have travelled in the 

 night. The instant the dog comes on the slot 

 he gives tongue, the man following always, hold- 

 ing the cord. In this way he comes up to the 

 boar's lair. He is roused by throwing a stone 

 or halloaing at him, and he seldom turns on you, 

 but generally sneaks off. The piqueur returns 

 immediately, assembles the hunting party, and 

 the hounds are then laid on. Sometimes the 

 boar is left in quiet when found, and the dogs 

 are given a view, but there are many other 

 methods of hunting this animal in. different 



