THE STORY OF THE WILD BOAR. 
no 
gristle are the thickest, and that, as there is little or no blood in that part, 
the poison is not carried through the system, so that the animal experi¬ 
ences no ill-effects from the virus. Whenever a serpent is spied, the pig, 
with erected bristles, rushes right upon it, and, indifferent to the formidable 
fangs that are perhaps sticking in its own hide, bites the reptile in pieces and 
then devours it. 
I once witnessed a hunt for babirusa by the natives of Celibes. 
The animals being driven into a curral with a V-shaped opening and 
flanked by netting, we had plenty of time to wait before the sport began, 
and meanwhile the natives arranged themselves at their posts. One stood 
at the door of the curral, ready to close it directly any animal rushed in; 
others took up their places on either side of the wide entrance, while 
the remainder crouched in front of the long net at intervals of a few yards, 
each grasping his spear, and hidden from view by a huge Livistonia (a kind 
of palm) frond. We had not long been settled before a peculiar barking 
grunt in the distance announced the arrival of the first victim. Everyone 
was instantly motionless, and directly afterwards a dark object dashed up at 
great speed and buried itself in the net a short way down the slope. There 
was a short struggle, and in less than five minutes the captive, a full-grown 
female babirusa, was quietly reposing on her back, with her legs tied together 
with rattan, and we were once more in ambush for the next comer. We 
were hardly quiet before the same peculiar sound was heard rapidly ap¬ 
proaching, and the next moment a magnificent old boar babirusa rushed 
past within five yards of us, and plunged into’ the net between our tree and 
the entrance to the curral. His long tusks became entangled in the meshes, 
and the natives ran up to spear him. Just at this moment, however, he 
broke loose, and, turning on his antagonists, scattered them in all direc¬ 
tions. It was a most determined charge, and, as we were unable to fire for 
fear of hitting some of our own men, it might have proved a serious affair 
for the native he singled out. After some trouble the animal was, however, 
finally despatched with a spear-thrust, but, even with four spears buried in 
his body, the old boar died game, striving to the very last to get at his 
antagonists. 
