1 8 T H E H O G A T BAY.
h e cxpcclrfl lo bay. Thr inlolligeni sportsman will however form a tolerable
jiiil^'iiieiiL as ID lhal j)oiiil, from llic (ace of the coiiiitfy, liis own local
k i i o w l c i i g e , llie naliirc of the cover, anti llie al)i]iLy of ihe horses. When, as in
some iiislances, the coiiiitry is level and open, and ihe grass jungle not more
tluni three feel high, nothing more is re([uirc<l ihan lo pnsh ihe game hard at
i h e outset, and to keep il from Ix'coming careless or lardy. In sucli a case,
n o l h i i i g can answer so -well as following close ; lhal is to say, near enongh to
w a l c i i every tur n narrowly, and to avoid an attack nntil ihe hog nniy become
so ja<led, as scarcely to be able lo raise a good Irol. If ihe grass be thick, the
l u i n l e r will have a great advantage, as the Jieight of his horse will enable him
t o have n fall and commanding view, whi l e from the lowness of the hog' s head,
h e rarely he ahle lo distinguish ihe precise spot al which to charge. Willi
r e g a r d lo the mode of spearing hogs under such circumstances, the open attack,
J)y r iding up lo ihe lefl side, is certainl y the most decisive; but many iiorses
•will nol, however urged, as.siune that siliialion, \ihich experience proves to be
t h e most, dangerous. The safest, and ]jerha)is as eflectiial a mode as any is,
e i t i i e r lo cross ihe hog' s course at about a yard or more before him, or to cross
o b l i ( [ n e l y behind him, delivering ihe spear in passing. When liorses will not
approaci« a hog on ihc lefl side, they f r cqnent l y dash boldly xip lo the righl, in
w h i c h case the spear must l)e thro>vn over ihe left shoulder, as seen in the
P l a l e . When the hog.s course is crossed, he will often make a rapid charge;
o n such occasions good horses rise, and avoid the danger.
L e i il nol however be supposed lhal all these proceedings lake place withont
some exerl ionand <langer. In fad, tin' liunler must occasionally expect lo start
a boar ; which, far from evading ihe contest, will absolutely seem to volunleer,
and even lo challenge an a I l a c k , which under such circumstances requires much
m a n a g e m e n t . Here the experienced hunter disliuguishes himself; and here
will such as have not hunted together for some time, so as lo have formed a
k i n d of system, resulting from pre-connexion, and founde<l on a knowledge of
e a c h horse's temper and speed, as well as of the coolness and energy of the
r i d e r , he often foiled. 1 h ave on several occasions seen a boar nf this character
c o m p l e t e l y defeat two or three excellent hunters. Horses of ail descriptions
q u i c k l y dislingnish a wild hog from a tame one; bnl such as have been at any
l i m e ript or bitten, become for ihe most part extremely timid, and approach a
s u l l e n hog with great caution. Some indeed will not go near a hog but when
a l speed.
W h e n it is obser\'ed lhal a hog trots forth from the cover, bristled up, and
\Mth an eye fidl of (ire, chopping with his mouth, and perhaps sto])ping
o c c a s i o n a l l y t o view the huntei-s, g r e a t precaution is indispensable. Rash attacks
•somelimes succeed; but, in general, though the hog may he wounded, or
k i l l e d , the horse suilers very severely. Il is more prudent, and indeed affords
more sport, wher e the hog can be induced to pur sue his course wi t h speed. To
elTect this, the person who may be mounled on llu" fleetest horse should gallop
a c r o s s the hog' s route, a few paces before h im; which is usually the means of
i n d u c i n g him to charge, and as his v igour will enable hi m to keep pretty close
to tile horse, he may insensibly be led on from his cover; and the same device
b e i n g repeated once or twice, never fails lo urge ihe hog to keep iip a good
pace. The result is, that lie gradually becomes exhausted by exertion, and
i h e fierce attack of his first eflbrt is changed into panting and imbecile
d e f e n c e .
I t will easily be perceived from this description, that much skill is required
lo hunt with eflect ; and thai as it f requent l y happens the chases beUveen two
covers are not more than two or three iiundrcd yards, the greatest activity is
r e ( ] u i r e d in the rider, and nnich speed in llie horse, to be successful in close
c o u n t r i e s . Where ihe hog has a cover in view, he will make a surprising
e f l b r l . He does not then seem to regard his pursuers with resenlmenl; he is
i m p e l l e d by fear, and by the prospect of safety; even if speared he does not
sto]) to revenge the injury, but cxerls his whole |)owers to reach an asylum,
s e n s i b l e thai a horse cannot follow him either through canes or underwood.
I n these short spurts it is pleasant lo see wi t h what regularity experienced
h u n t e r s pursue their sport. The (irst who can gel within a proper distance,
t h r o w s his S])ear, aiming al ihe hog's head, al the same moment giving .«purs
lo his horse, and liling oil" lo the left, to make room for the next, \vho does the
same, and thus in succession as the several horsemen can come up. This is all
d o n e at full speed. If the hog be wounded in ihe spine, he falls instantly,
o t h e r w i s e he must be struck to the heart ere he will be d ive r t e d f rom his objcct;
u n l e s s indeed a horseman should be able lo cross before him, when in all prob
a b i l i t y he will make a desperate charge, and may perhaps be diverted from
h i s course. The hunter who ventures in this manner should be sure of his
h o r s e ' s temper, and that as the hog may arrive at his flank, ihe steed, as before
n o t i c e d , will rise and deliberately vault over, so as to frustrate the inlention to
r i p at his belly. Hank, or shoulder. If indeed the hog be very much exhausted,
s o as only to be able to trot, a person possessing a strong hand may wait the
c h a r g e , and slab or throw ihe spear in between the shoulder and ribs, or throw
so as lo strike in the forehead ; by either of which methods the hog's course
m a y usually be stopl. It .sometimes happens that a hog will continue, in spite
of such wounds, lo pns h forward ; in whi c h case il b(;hoves the rider to b e caref
u l of his hor.se, and if il bo a sow he has lo cope vvilh, an eye to his toes will
b e necessary, lest, as often happens, lie may feel her teelh; which, in the
m o m e n t of pai n and resentment, she uses with great force and freedom. With
r e g a r d to di.sniounling for ihe purpose of spearing hogs apparently exhausted
e i t h e r with fatigue or loss of blood, il is an act of madness which many young
s p o r t s m e n practise, but gives way cither in deference t o ihc severe atlmonilions
o f r ips and bites, or to that cooler mode of act ing resulting from experience.
I t should be understood that a boar rips, and lhal a sow bites. The boar
u s u a l l y makes his firsl cut to the right, and the IK'XI to the left, wi l h a very
q u i c k motion, seeming to Avriggle his nose against the object of attack, and
-.11 S.U ,..BO<I.BRKD-I ORIBF.RIBT&UFF LOHJ