ogs. Just as I was about to fire the
old sow raised her head, and I fired at her shoulder. At the same
moment our twenty curs were let go, and the sow, although the bullet
had smashed her shoulder, at once tore down the plateau, followed by her
progeny, but catching sight of the cordon of boys below, at once turned,
and, injured as she was, made up towards the summit of the mountain with
incredible speed. Then began the fan, the dogs yelping and howling, and
the boys and girls screaming with excitement, as they plunged through
the undergrowth and vines in pursuit. Nearly on the summit was a huge
tree, with foliage like an Australian white cedar, and here was the old
pig's lair, for the soil at its buttressed foot was scooped out into
deep holes.

When we had succeeded in gaining the top the dogs were running round and
round the tree, making the most horrible din imaginable, but not daring
to venture into the hole where the old sow was. Suddenly we saw a huge
black head, with two great curved tusks, protrude out of one of the dark
recesses, and the next instant a great black boar burst out and
charged at the dogs, followed by the wounded sow and five little
black-and-yellow suckers. Old as he Was, Rii showed his prowess, for,
calling out to the boys and girls to see that none of the young pigs got
down the spur, he advanced spear in hand towards the boar, which,
after his first charge, had backed up to the tree again, and now stood
surrounded by dogs and frothing his savage jaws. Already he had two or
three light spears sticking into his stomach and rump.

Followed by a couple of girls who carried baskets of wood ashes, old Rii
got to within a dozen feet of the great brute, and, taking a basket of
ashes, threw it at the boar. It struck him fair in the face, and the
contents smothered his head and forequarters, blinding him for a second
or two; and then, at the same moment, Rii sprang forward and plunged his
heavy spear deep into the creature's bowels. But even then the boar was
game, and, with a terrific snort of rage, made another charge, only to
meet half a dozen spear-thrusts.

A bullet through his head soon finished him, and then began the chase
after the young suckers, every one of which was caught. Small as they
were, they fought and snapped and bit viciously, and acted generally
like little fiends. As for the old sow, she was killed by the dogs; she
was very poor and mangy, but the suckers were as round as balls