64 SPOET IN BENGAL. 



H. B. S. and I were out hunting in Souraburea one May, 

 just after a heavy fall of rain succeeding a month or two of 

 excessive heat had cooled the air. We had splendid sport, 

 notwithstanding the heavy state of the country, and the pools 

 of rain water which lay deep on the lowest grounds. One 

 afternoon, shortly before sunset, we started out of the "jheel" 

 a brace of pigs, resembling each other so closely in size, 

 colour, and make, that they might well be twins of the same 

 litter. 



After going together for a few hundred yards, the two 

 boars (thirty-four inches in height) separated and took 

 different lines, S. following one and I the other, and I saw 

 nothing more of him till after I had killed my pig and was 

 examining on foot a slight gash on my horse's stifle, inflicted 

 by the boar in his last spring at us, when he received the 

 spear through his crest and lungs. My examination ended 

 I remounted, and just as I did so, saw at the distance of a 

 quarter of a mile, on my right, my comrade and his pig 

 rushing upon each other from opposite directions at full 

 speed. The next thing I saw was the boar fallen dead after 

 a turn or two, and S. dismounted inspecting his horse's side. 

 Riding up I found S.'s mare bleeding from flesh wounds 

 under the skin and muscles of the right shoulder and back 

 ribs, which we staunched as well as we were able to do with 

 wetted "pugrees" and "kummerbunds." S/s account of the 

 adventure was as follows : After we separated, his hog took 

 him at a great pace for about a mile, and then " jinking " 

 once across him, got behind and followed with long bounds, 

 endeavouring to reach his mare's hams and hocks ; but out- 

 pacing him, S. wheeled round, and the two met in almost a 

 direct line (a most objectionable course) at racing speed ; his 

 spear struck true, but was dashed from his grasp as they flew 

 past each other, and he felt that something had gone wrong. 

 Taking a pull on his mare, and looking over his shoulder, he 

 perceived the boar lying dead, and dismounted to inspect 

 damages, which, as before recounted, were serious. The spear 

 lay on the ground a little beyond the spot where the collision 



