1 8 A Sportswoman in India 



sound. It was, however, quite quietly that the first 

 pig broke, and a few seconds of tense silence followed, 

 moments of excitement too keen for words, as, all 

 associations of pigsties and bacon fading away, every 

 one gazed and gazed at that wiry form lobbing away 

 across the open, for all the world, as Cruikshank 

 says, like " a carpet-bag tumbling end over end.'* 

 The fever of impatience to be off at once ! but it 

 is absolutely necessary to remain quiet till the boar 

 has got well away ; otherwise, himself the wiliest 

 of all cunning animals, he hates to leave a good 

 sanctuary, and only does so when he thinks the 

 coast is clear. If he finds himself at once being 

 followed, he will nip round and slip back to cover 

 at lightning pace, and quite decline to leave it again. 

 It seemed a lengthy minute, though it cannot have 

 been really long, before S., leaning forward in his 

 saddle, called out, "Ride!" 



Oh ! the vigour with which the air is rife, 



The spirit of joyous motion, 

 The fever, the fulness of animal life, 



Can be drained from no earthly potion. 



Everything was forgotten but the maddening, all- 

 engrossing present : the wind in the horses' faces ; 

 the rattle of their hoofs ; and eyes only for one grey 

 object fast disappearing. 

 It was indeed Ride. 



Over the valley, over the level, 



Through the thick jungle, ride like the 



