218 A MONTH IN THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



together, we left the sow in possession of her well- 

 maintained wilderness, and set our heads for home. 



Jules d'Anchald and others thought I had hit the 

 sow when I shot at her; but I am quite sure I did 

 not do so, for my ear, as I said before, would have 

 told me if I had, and she never could have stood, 

 had she been wounded, the chase we gave her. I 

 doubt the story of the last blouse, who affirms he 

 had broken one of her legs, or otherwise badly crip- 

 pled her by his double shot, for had she been so 

 stricken the three Eno-lish hounds must have set her 

 up at bay ; and that I am positively certain they 

 never did do, or, if they did so, they must have run 

 away from her the instant she showed fight, without 

 flinging even anything like a baying tongue. A 

 more beautiful animal than this old sow^ I never saw, 

 and, supposing it to be settled that, from the size of 

 her slot, she was a sow, I am perfectly sure she was 

 barren and without a litter. She was infinitely too 

 thick and well let down in the body, and without the 

 semblance that I could detect of a heavy teat to be 

 the mother of a litter. Besides this, her method of 

 running and fighting, and her defeat of the hounds 

 in the first cover to which she attained, showed that 

 she was of the female sex. In addition, throughout 

 the day, not another boar of any sort, young or old, 



