THE MIGHTY BOAR IS ROUSED. 177 



verge of the wood, I entered the thick forest, and, 

 having proceeded two or three hundred yards into the 

 cover, chose a spot where I could see beneath the 

 oldest copse on either side for a considerable space. 

 Having listened for some period for the first sounds of 

 chase, the cry at last came indifferently to my ear, as 

 the first outburst of it was down-wind of where I 

 stood ; and it was accompanied by M. d'Anchald's 

 horn proclaiming at least " a boar." Oh how I re~ 

 gretted having taken counsel which put me up-wind 

 of the hounds, as well as the animal they were hunt- 

 ing; and how I fumed and fretted as I heard the 

 sounds of chase die away, and, though they came 

 nearer again, still decidedly hang in those portions of 

 the wood that were down-wind ! D'Anchald's rich 

 loud cheer reached me now atid then, but it seemed 

 to me as if the hounds slackened rather than fresh- 

 ened in their cry, and as if he cheered or encouraged 

 them more and more. I knew, also, how weak-handed 

 the pack was in point of men to work with and keep 

 them together : when, overcome by my old propen- 

 sities as to assisting hounds, I resolved to tarry where 

 I was no longer, so with a rush I left my post, as I 

 supposed, in the direction of Coco. Alas ! in chang- 

 ing my position, and in listening to the hounds, I 

 forgot each point of the compass, and instead of going 



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