ing
down his leg and breast, but the plucky hound still held on, lying close
on the near side, while his teeth were fast through the boar's off lug,
the latter striving all he could to get his head round and tusk the dog.
Added to this the position they had contrived to get themselves into
was unfortunate; the boar was so close to the bank it was impossible to
reach his off side, and the dog lay so close he could not be touched on
the other.

Smith was a powerful fellow, and in fun of this kind would have faced a
boar singlehanded. He called to me that he would rush in and seize the
boar by his hind legs and try to pull him round, while I watched my
opportunity to jump between him and the bank. It was our only chance to
save the dog, at any rate, and luckily it proved successful. As Smith
laid on I jumped, and although I fell on all fours between the boar and
the slippery bank, I contrived just in time to drive the knife into his
heart, and the huge beast rolled over and with a few gasps died. We were
both exhausted, and the poor dog, when the excitement was over, lay down
with a low whine, thoroughly done up from exhaustion and loss of blood.
We washed and bound his wound as well as we could and tied him to a bush
of snow grass to await the dray.

Legge and Forde had already despatched a large boar and two full-grown
sows, and were in chase of others. We came up with them when they were
engaged with a fine young boar which had sheltered and come to bay in a
clump of thorny scrub (wild Irishman, so called). Neither dogs nor men
could reach him, and the only plan was to irritate him till he bolted.
This was difficult, but at length successful, and the beast made a rush
straight for us. However, he was bent on defence rather than offence,
and we escaped his tusks. Legge was first mounted and away with one of
the dogs in chase, but going over the rough, honeycombed ground I
mentioned he too met with a bad fall which threw him out of the running,
and now Smith, Forde, and I were in full cry with the two dogs.

By this time both dogs and horses were somewhat blown, whereas the boar
having had a rest we feared would escape, and reaching a low swampy flat
he disappeared in a large patch of snow grass and reeds. As we were not
sure of his exact position, we decided to ride through in line, to
endeavour to drive him again to the open. In doing so the boar broke
covert under Forde's horse's legs, and ripped him below the hock.