XVII 
THE BOAR 
131 
hesitation, it made a supreme effort to attack ; its 
charge was so furious and sudden, that, being un¬ 
expected by the dogs, they lost their hold, and 
for a moment the boar was free. I instinctively 
jumped upon one side, as the brute rushed at me, 
and delivered a tremendous cut with the heavy 
knife across its back, just behind the shoulder. At 
the same moment a very powerful bitch named 
Lena had recovered her hold upon the boar’s thigh. 
. . . This large boar fell dead! It never moved 
a muscle. 
In those days I could hit tolerably hard, but the 
effect of this blow was so instantaneous that I was 
almost incredulous when I saw the body of the boar 
lying at my feet, cut half-way through. The knife 
had struck downwards, as the boar had passed at 
full speed ; the body, being stretched through the 
weight of the bitch that had seized the thigh, gave 
way at once before the keen edge of the heavy 
blade. The spine was cut clean through, and the 
knife had passed through the vitals. 
This boar weighed about 2§ cwts., as nearly 
as I could estimate its weight, from its length 
and general appearance. The largest that I have 
ever killed with the hounds and hunting - knife 
weighed at least 4 cwts., and the head alone, 
when slung upon a pole, made a tolerable load 
for two men, who were well contented to be 
released from their burden after a long march to 
camp ; the carriers being my brother and myself. 
The Ceylon style of hunting must depend 
