70 THE INDIAN WILD BOAR. 



wonder if ' croppers ' are the rule, and not the exception ? Still, I have rarely known any 

 one hurt ; the pace is too good. 



The Meerut Tent Club hunt over this ground, and enjoy splendid sport. I think the 

 day's sport, which I now record, was the first regular meeting of that Club. As most of us 

 were then beginners, we did not, I fear, spare the Sows sufficiently, but the grass was so long 

 that one sometimes had a longish gallop before the sex of the Pig could be discovered, 

 and then it was hard to pull up ! Afterwards we were more particular. 



On the 23rd of March, 1865, a party of eleven of us met at Hastnapur, on the Ganges, 

 about eighteen miles from Meerut. Most of us went out shooting in the evening and killed 

 a few partridges and snipe. Early next morning, three of us rode over to Sherpiir, a village 

 a few miles off, where the coolies had been ordered to await us. In the grey of the morning 

 we saw some Pig returning from their night's ramble, but not having our spears in our hands 

 we could not ride them. Having reached Sherpur, and made all preparations, we were just 

 starting to beat, when we met the rest of the party : two of them had met with a Sow and 

 killed her. C. had obtained first spear. 



All being in readiness, we commenced beating, but for some time without success. At 

 last I saw three Pig coming back towards the right of the line where I was posted, and at 

 once gave chase, but getting into a thick clump of palm trees I was thrown out, and when 

 I got clear I saw F. with the lead. I raced up to him and overtook him just after he had 

 turned the Pig. We gave turn and turn for some time without spearing, the Sow being a 

 very active one, and my horse (a powerful grey Arab), very violent and difficult to turn. At 

 one turn he sprang clear over the Pig. F. at length got first spear, and some of the others 

 coming up, the Sow was quickly despatched. Shortly after we had recommenced beating 

 a good-sized Boar started. I got away with the lead, but the brute jumped into a wet 

 nullah and lay down, and my horse went on some distance before I could stop him. The 

 Boar being soon turned out, the chase recommenced, and after a short run, F. again secured 

 first spear, disabling the Boar so much that he at once stopped, and was quickly killed. 

 Another heavy Boar was roused, but soon crossed a deep nullah and was lost. We now beat 

 for some time without seeing anything, but at length a Boar got up in the middle of the line. 

 I was on the extreme right, and was racing up with P., when we suddenly came to a dry 

 nullah : it was too wide to jump, and it was too late to pull up ; my horse hit the opposite 

 bank, fell, and rolled over. I was only a little shaken, and we were at once up and going 

 again, but were only in time to be in at the death. F. had again secured first spear ; making 

 three in succession. We now went to the tents and breakfasted. 



In the afternoon we again went out, and a very short distance from camp put up two 

 Pig in long grass. One took to the open plain, and I followed her, and had all the galloping 

 to myself for a long time : being only a Sow, however, she turned too quickly for my impetu- 

 ous horse, and B., who had followed me, got first and second spears. I now got my horse 

 straight, and spearing the Sow through the withers, dropped her dead : she fell under my 

 horse's nose, and he jumped over her. When we rejoined the line, we found that two more 

 Pig had been killed, C. getting both spears. Another fine Boar was soon on foot, and gave a 



