PIG-STICK rNG. 
29 
snake's head and part of his body with seemingly great gusto. 
Our little favourite killed a great many cobras, and I think 
never was bitten. I believe the story of the mungoose 
eating some herb when bitten to be quite a myth, and that if 
really struck by the cobra it would die. I bcHeve also that 
its safety consists in the perfect judgment of the distance the 
snake can strike. The increase of its apparent sizq from all 
his hairs standing out at right angles deceiving the snake, so 
that the fangs never really touch the body of the mungoose 
but only the hain 
People in England often ask "how about snakes when 
you are out beating for game ? as if the country was over- 
run with them. They are certainly met with occasionally, 
but many of them are harmless. It is surprising how few one 
does see, and as the sportsman nearly always wears high 
gaiters to protect him from the thorns and spear grass, he is 
quite safe from venomous snakes, as they always strike down- 
wards, and it must be a very large snake to be able to strike 
a man above the knee* 
HOG-HUNTING. 
I saw very little of what I consider to be the finest sport 
in the world. 1 mean hog-hunting, or as it is commonly 
called pig-sticking. What a pity such a noble sport should 
be known by such an ignoble title. 
The only hog- hunting I had was at Ahmed-nugger, 
Satara and Kuiladghee. At that time I could only afford to 
keep one horse as a hunter and in the rough rocky ground 
a horse was often put "hors de combat," Still I managed 
to see enough to make me fully appreciate the sport. 
