1 16 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS chap. 
path upon which some person has recently been 
walking. The pig at once halts, smells the ground, 
and waits, listening attentively and making up its 
mind. It may be that it determines to go forward ; 
if so, it starts off at its best pace ; but should it 
declare for a retreat, it waits, listens for the advance of 
the line of beaters, and quietly hides in the densest 
bushes. At last, with shouts sufficient to scare away 
every animal for miles around, the beaters arrive ; 
you know the pig is there, but nobody has yet 
discovered it. Just as the beaters have brought their 
line in good order to the extreme margin of the 
jungle, there is a sudden outburst of shouts and 
yells ; a rush in all directions, screams and halloos, 
sticks going upon all sides; a few short angry grunts, 
and a rattling of loose stones, explain that the boar 
has broken back through the line of beaters. 
Pigs multiply in such an extraordinary manner 
that in some countries they become a pest to the 
unfortunate agriculturist. When travelling, their 
pace is a shambling trot, at about 5 or 6 miles 
an hour. They keep this up for a considerable 
distance, and it is astonishing to see a country that 
is quite devoid of game, but nevertheless the fields 
are guarded by numerous watching-posts to scare the 
wild pigs from the crops at night. These animals 
must travel 6 or 7 miles from the jungle- 
covered hills to make a raid upon the well-known 
fields ; sometimes they will exceed this distance, and 
again return to their unknown haunts before the 
rising of the sun. The great strength and activity 
