nd his nobles, attendants and soldiers all tried to
overtake and pass him. The white men, as is their wont, rode in silence
but none the less keenly excited. Over sand and stones, past tall,
prickly cactus-plants, in hot pursuit all flew at racing speed.

It was a long chase; for the old grey boar was speedy, cunning, and a
master of wiles. First one pursuer, then another, then a third and a
fourth, found himself almost upon the quarry and bent down with
outstretched, eager spear only to be baffled by a swift jink and carried
on helplessly, pulling vainly at the reins.

At length a sudden turn threw out all the field except the Maharajah,
who had foreseen it and ridden off to intercept the now tiring boar.
Overtaking it he bent forward and wounded it slightly. The brute
instantly swung in upon his horse, and with a fierce grunt dashed under
it and leapt up at it with a toss of the head that gave an upward thrust
to the long, curved tusk. In an instant the horse was ripped open and
brought crashing to the ground, pinning its rider's leg to the earth
beneath it. The boar turned again, marked the prostrate man, and with a
savage gleam in its little eyes charged the Maharajah, its gleaming
ivory tusks, six inches long, as sharp and deadly as an Afridi's knife.

CHAPTER II

YOUTH CALLS TO YOUTH

But at that moment a shout made the boar hesitate, and Raymond dashed in
on it at racing speed, driving his spear so deeply into its side that,
as he swept on, the tough bamboo broke like match-wood. The stricken
beast tottered forward a yard or two, then turned and stood undauntedly
at bay, as a _sowar_ rode at it. But before his steel could touch its
hide it shuddered and sank to the ground dead.

The dying horse was lifted off the Maharajah who, with the courage of
his race, had remained calm in the face of the onrushing death. He was
assisted to rise, but was so severely shaken and bruised that at first
he was unable to stand without support. Leaning on the arm of one of his
nobles he held out his hand to Raymond, when the latter rode up, and
thanked him gratefully for his timely aid. Then the exhausted but
gallant prince sat down on the sand to recover himself. But he assured
everyone that he was not hurt and, insisting that the sport should go
on, gave orders for the beat to continue.

Wargrave had chanced to dismount to tighten the girth of Mrs. Norton's
horse, when a fresh boar broke from cover and was instantl