A HAND-TO-HAND ENCOUNTEE. 65 



occurred, and S.'s right boot was cut through, but his leg 

 escaped without a scratch. 



A little consideration led us to the conclusion (right or 

 wrong, I will not warrant) that the boar, which, struck on the 

 spine, was instantaneously slain, had in passing the mare 

 dashed the spear forward and horizontally in the air, point 

 towards her, and she, by the speed and force of her action, had 

 received the point into the muscles of her shoulders and ribs. 

 S.'s boot, in the intervening space between the two wounds, 

 being cut through below the swell of the calf. 



The accident was altogether a strange one, but no serious 

 consequences ensued, for the mare, left in my care and treated 

 with frequent applications of iced water, and poultices of cold 

 milk curds, recovered completely in three weeks, and was 

 ridden again, as sound as ever, before the season closed. 



The result of another accident not far from the same place 

 was more serious. Hunting alone one morning, and having 

 killed two or three fine boars, I roused a still finer one, which 

 led me a good long chase over rough ground much intersected 

 by water-courses, cleared handsomely by both boar and Arab 

 (my old favourite grey), till the former, being run into, made 

 a desperate charge, in receiving which the bamboo shaft of 

 the spear broke a foot or two from the blade, left buried deep 

 in the shoulders of the boar, which then got home and cut 

 a deep gash in the horse's stifle, and as the sequel proved, 

 dislocated the round bone joint also, bringing us down with a 

 crash. Left now standing astride my gallant horse with the 

 leaded butt and four or five feet of the shaft in my hand, 

 I received the boar's next attack with a blow upon his head 

 with the weighted end, and somewhat staggered him. He 

 then retreated a few yards on my right rear to obtain a run 

 and momentum, and again dashing upon us at full speed was 

 again stopped in the same fashion. Shaking his grisly head 

 the boar once more retired backwards as before, facing me 

 all the time, and for a second or two appeared to be consider- 

 ing how best to take me at a disadvantage ; then he advanced 

 as before, to be repulsed in^ the same way, these onslaughts 



F 



