THE TVILD BOAE. 11 



to them, and they can know little or nothing of the 

 necessity of caution, the young things stand and listen 

 as though they understood all about it. But onwards 

 their mother leads them with a grunt as a signal for 

 retreat ; and she must be far from the sj)ot where danger 

 first menaced, and have reached the shelter of some pro- 

 tecting thicket, before she will stop or let her little ones 

 stray at \^dll. 



There is no peril that mil daunt her when her young 

 need defence. Her courage then is quite heroic. Xo 

 matter who the spoiler be, whether man well armed or 

 brute of superior force, she flies at him with a fury 

 which it is difficult to mthstand. Xor will steady 

 resistance, or desjDerate wound, keep her back or make 

 her retreat. Not till her child be safe, or till she herself 

 sink before her foe, does the combat end. For, as to 

 driving her back, you might as well think of making a 

 robbed lioness turn, as to expect her to cede while life 

 remains. And, as was said above, her bite is terrible. 

 She tears out pieces of flesh, and tramples on her 

 fallen adversary. She returns also to the attack, and 

 does not wound in passing and then go on, as the male 

 animal will do. Hence with her it is useless to step 

 aside or get behind a tree, as you would if the boar were 

 to rush upon you ; she is not to be evaded thus, ^yhen 

 he attacks, and there is no other help, you may fling 

 yourself flat on the ground and you are safe ; for the 



