62 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



a second through the ribs, as he again rushed upon me, and 

 tore the spear from my grasp as I passed on, unable to draw 

 it out of the deep wound. The last thrust was a fatal one, 

 and he succumbed at once ; and thus was slain the fifth boar 

 of that morning, one of those active blue-black animals, 

 measuring thirty-six inches in height, equally good at running 

 or fighting, armed too with long sharp tusks, white as ivory 

 and as sharp as a knife, point and edges alike. 



Dismounting, I loosed the girths for a moment or two, and 

 throwing the reins over the Arab's head on the ground to let 

 him know he was to stand still, as he understood full well, I 

 proceeded to withdraw my spear and inspect my fallen foe ; 

 meanwhile the old sow passed us at no great distance and 

 gained the covert all three had made for together. 



A minute or two afterwards I re-mounted and returned at 

 a canter towards the beaters, who had followed me at a run, 

 and from them I learned that the first and largest of the boars 

 had lagged behind, where he had been wounded, as if unable 

 to go further. It was not long before I met him as he slowly 

 moved about as if undecided in his mind whether to go on or 

 return on his tracks ; but as soon as I approached at a hand 

 gallop he proved that the wound received had not disabled 

 him or lessened his powers, for he rushed upon me at a terrific 

 pace, bounding and grunting in great fury. We met with 

 a crash ; my spear struck full on the tough hide of his 

 shoulder, and penetrating eight or nine inches, snapped in two 

 like a rotten reed, and in an instant my right leg was thrown 

 back upon the horse's quarters, and I was nearly hurled to 

 the ground. The little Arab, an experienced hog-hunter, 

 immediately after the delivery of the spear, wheeled rapidly 

 to the left, and my weight thus falling on the near stirrup, 

 enabled me with great difficulty to avoid a bad fall, and pre- 

 sently to recover my seat in the saddle. Had I fallen before 

 the wounded and infuriated boar my life would have been for- 

 feited, and my hunting ended for ever. The horse completed 

 the circle and was ready again to continue the fight, but 

 neither his rider nor the pig were so, although the latter main- 



