THE INDIAN WILD BOAR. 7 1 



capital run over rather broken ground. I secured first spear, and gave him another that 

 disabled him as he charged. All our horses having now had enough, we returned to the tents, 

 having had a splendid day's sport. 



On several occasions we had very good sport on the ' Khadir.' On the 8th of April, 

 1866, six of us met at Hastnapur and killed four heavy Boars. The second run was one of 

 the prettiest I ever saw : an old Boar was found fast asleep in a clump of grass, and on being 

 turned out, took to the open plain where the grass had been cut, and nothing remained but 

 soft turf: the riding, therefore, was first rate, and we all rattled the Boar along at racing pace, 

 each one striving for the lead, and the Pig swerving slightly from side to side as one or 

 another pressed him rather closer than the rest : it was a good race, and for some time it 

 appeared as if it might be any one's spear. At length he inclined towards me, and lengthen- 

 ing my spear to the utmost, I dashed at him : the spear point was not six inches from his 

 quarters, and I had almost shouted ' first spear,' when the Boar pitched on his head and 

 rolled over on his right side, just out of my reach : this of course let in the others, and P. 

 took first spear. 



We were marching down country in 1868, when near Saharunpur we heard news of 

 Pig. Six of us went out, and proceeded to beat some sugar-cane fields, in which they were 

 said to live. For some time we were unsuccessful, but we were at length informed that we 

 should find the Pig lying in some green barley near a village. The crop was very high and 

 rank, and when, after a time, there was a shout from the beaters that a Pig was on foot, we ■ 

 could not at first see him. P. was the first to sight the Boar at a considerable distance, as 

 he reached some thinner corn, and he at once gave chase. I was not far behind, and had 

 just reached his horse's quarters when we came to a wide piece of water. We took a pull at 

 our horses, and I got through the deep mud and water with a struggle, but P.'s horse rolled 

 over, and C, who came up directly afterwards, also came to grief. I now found myself alone, 

 and pressed the Boar as hard as I could, but he had a tremendous start, and had got his 

 second wind before I came up to him. My horse began to tire while the Pig still seemed 

 pretty fresh : at length I succeeded in turning him several times, and the others came up. P. 

 gave him the first spear, and S. the second : my horse coming again I gave the Boar two 

 spears in quick succession, and he then became very savage and took to fighting. He made 

 charge after charge, and though he received a spear each time, he seemed to care little for 

 his wounds. He knocked C.'s mare off her legs ; and another horse, which was imprudently 

 ridden slowly up to him, escaped being cut to pieces by a miracle. At last we despatched 

 him, and had time to look over our horses : one only was slightly cut. 



We next found an old Sow in the high corn ; she would not leave it, but kept running 

 in circles, and, after I had given her a first spear, became desperately vicious. She charged 

 everything that came in the way, including a coolie and a led horse, but fortunately did 

 little harm. She, however, succeeded in slightly cutting my horse in the stifle before we 

 killed her. The wound soon healed up, but afterwards the whole leg swelled to a great size 

 and the horse was unable to leave the stable for three weeks. 



My next encounter with a Boar was not quite so satisfactory. On the 17th of March, 



