THE WARTHOG 223 



and tail erected stiiffly, Monsieur gives a short, 

 impatient grunt which is echoed by Madame, 

 when, unless they should now be reassured, they 

 trot quickly away in single file, led by the parents, 

 the members of the family following strictly in 

 order of primogeniture and, consequently, of size. 



Adult warthogs, especially males, are very 

 tough beasts to kill, and at times make good their 

 escape after having sustained injuries which 

 would have brought most other animals promptly 

 to bag. If wounded and overtaken, they charge 

 with great quickness and courage, and, although 

 I never heard of a serious mishap, their tusks 

 enable them at times to inflict severe gashes. 



On one occasion I had wounded a large boar in 

 East Luabo with which, after a long chase, I had 

 succeeded in coming up. He promptly turned 

 upon me and charged with a perfect cyclone of 

 shrill, excited gnmts, and, on my avoiding him, 

 did the like to my gun-bearer. So quick and 

 pertinacious were his movements that several 

 seconds elapsed before I was enabled to get in a 

 second and final shot. On another occasion some 

 friends of mine in similar circumstances directed 

 one of their natives to run in and finish a warthog 

 with a spear, when the animal leaped to its feet 

 and inflicted upon his naked leg a gash which laid 

 it open to the bone. 



The female possesses neither the size, length of 

 tusks, nor spirit of the male, except she have her 

 young at hand, when she becomes endowed with 

 the most reckless courage, and has been known, in 

 their defence, to charge and put to flight animals 



