The Wild Boar. 
121 
slowly goes on his course, and the dogs renew the pur- 
suit. In this manner the charge is sustained, and the 
chase continues, till the Boar is quite tired, and refuses to 
go any further. The dogs then attempt to close in upon 
him from behind ; those which are young, lierce, and un- 
accustomed to the chase, are generally the foremost, and 
often lose their lives by their ardour. Those which are 
older, and better trained, are content to wait until the 
hunters come up, who despatch him with their spears. 
In former times, the Wild Boar was a native of 
Britain, as appears from the laws ot the Welsh prince, 
Howell the Good, who permitted his grand huntsman to 
chase that animal from the middle of November to the 
beginning of December ; and in the reign of William 
the Conqueror, those who were convicted of killing the 
Wild Boars, in any of the royal forests, were punished 
with the loss of their eyes. Our domestic pigs are 
descended from the wild race ; but the tame Boar has 
two tusks, smaller than those of the wild ones, and the 
sow has none. » 
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