276 A Sportswoman in India 



in one's hand ; a shot in the nick of time will very 

 probably either stop or turn a charge. 



We were walking very quietly along the side of the 

 hill, and about thirty yards above us, almost at the top 

 of the hill, were some steep rocks. Under one of 

 these, in the cool shade, sitting in a recess which he 

 had partly grubbed out for himself, the shikari, who 

 was in front, suddenly saw, looking at us, a large boar. 

 From his expression he wanted but slight provo- 

 cation to induce him to charge. No animal exceeds 

 the pig in ferocity, nor equals him in courage and 

 determination. Once roused, nothing upon this earth 

 will stop him, and he will boldly charge the largest 

 elephant who may have disturbed him without 

 further provocation. This boar was an enormous 

 brute ; if only one could have had him on an open 

 plain, where, with a good horse and spear, we might 

 have had a fair fight ! 



The shikari, of course, stopped, whispered, and 

 pointed. We were right below the pig, and dare 

 not fire from there, for we should have had to shoot 

 right uphill and straight at his head, and supposing 

 he was only wounded or missed altogether, he would 

 to a certainty have charged down upon us and a 

 charging tusker is no fun. Pretending, therefore, 

 not to have seen him, and half retiring, we climbed 

 sideways up the hill, till we were almost at the top, 

 about twenty yards above the pig, and fifty yards 

 on one side of him. Still he sat on, perfectly in- 

 different, not caring twopence, and now giving an 



