XVII 
THE BOAR 
141 
not see it; hares, woodcocks, partridges, and 
several other creatures, especially quails, will 
sometimes allow themselves to be almost trodden 
upon before they can be induced to move. 
A good dog is always a useful companion in a 
forest, as it will detect the presence of an animal 
long before it would be perceived by the 
unassisted eye. Upon one occasion at Sabanja 
I had hired a Turkish sportsman, who possessed 
a little nondescript dog with only a stump of 2 
inches to represent a tail. We were passing 
through thick rose jungle, when we suddenly 
missed the cur; a minute later, we heard 
vigorous barking within 150 yards of our position. 
Upon arrival at the spot, there was a very large 
wild boar standing at bay, with the little dog 
before it in a frantic state of excitement, but far 
too sensible to risk a close approach. I had 
been expecting woodcocks, but, knowing the 
uncertainty of the forest, I fortunately had a 
bullet in the left-hand barrel; a shot through the 
shoulder dropped the boar upon the spot, to the 
intense delight of the little dog, which imme¬ 
diately seized it by the snout, and endeavoured to 
shake the body twenty times heavier than itself. 
This was a low-born cur, but a jolly little dog, 
that must, upon the principle of heredity, have 
had some unknown but heroic ancestor. If any 
person wishes to shoot wild boar, a single 
dog of small size is better than a great 
number, as the boar, or even a sow, will 
