Pigsticking 19 



Hark forward ! a boar ! away we go ! 

 Sit down and ride straight ! tally ho ! 

 He's a true-bred one none of your jinking ; 

 Straight across country no time for thinking. 

 There's water in front! There's a boar AS WELL; 

 Harden your heart, and ride pell-mell. 



Away went the party as hard as they could go, 

 five of them, S. and G. riding to the right and left, 

 M. taking her own line more or less between the 

 two. It is astonishing that a pig, ungainly animal 

 as he looks, should cover the ground as he can ; but 

 all this time our boar appeared to be lolluping along 

 at an easy canter, while the horses were galloping 

 all they knew to keep within sight of him. Away 

 they went, across a field or two, quite simple riding, 

 until a big wall loomed in front, and there was nothing 

 for it but to take it. The unmistakable gleam of 

 water just showed beyond. The boar quietly cantered 

 up to this big place, and down it for a few yards, 

 then turning, with a wonderful knack he somehow 

 jumped himself sideways over it, and was soon bundling 

 across the piece of fallow beyond. For the field 

 it was a case of 



Harden your heart like a millstone, Ned, 

 And set your face like a flint, 



and the three leaders, S., G., and M., charged it 

 gallantly in line, with the two others following. 

 G.'s horse, a biggish waler, sailed over wall, water, 

 and all, in his stride. S. hit the wall hard, and 

 his horse and he disappeared completely in the watery 



