Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1893-11-16
INDIAN PIG STICKING
ONE MAN WHO SAYS IT IS THE
FINEST SPORT IN THE WORLD.

is the finest sport in the world. By pig
sticking" | OF course mean pig sticking
as it is practiced in India and in north.
ern Africa and perhaps in some other
English colonies-viz, riding down the
pig on horseback and dispatching him
with spears.
The Indian wild pig varies naturally
according to his home. The biggestI
have ever seen were in the Vindlva
mountains. where | used to shoot them
as food for my beaters. Sometimes they
were of vast size. bigger, l think, than
even their Ganges cousins.
A popularity Of the wild pig is the
straightness Of his tail as compared with
the curled apperdage CT his domestic
brother. From the top of his low fore
head to the end Of his snout is almosta n
perfectly straight line, and he has far
longer snout and jaw than the English
market pig. Ills skin is a kind of
blush gray and his bristles gray or
black. though sometimes an almost
brown pig is found. The wild pig will
never live fer from water. He is hap-
piest in the long grass. often l2 feet high.
that grows along the banks of the hig
Indian rivers, and above all rejoices in
'jao," kind of evergreen brushwood
that is as common as the grass. He only
eats at night, and about 10 p. m he SAL
lies forth from cover and will go many
miles to find the succulent sugar cane or
other luxury, returning as Il rule about
an hour before the first strealis of dawn.
Pig sticking begins usually about
Christmas week, when the giant vegeta-
ton of the rains has died down sufficient
ly to get at piggy, and the marshy
ground where he lives is firm enough for
horses. but it is not till the end of Feb
ruary that really good pig sticking be-
gins, and it improves as the weather gets
dryer and hotter till the June rains come,
and pig sticking instantly ceases.
AT about d. H., after light break
fast, the sportsmen set out-usually il.
"tumtums"--to the meet, having sen.
their spears and horses on ahead over
night, together with the all important
mess tiffin basket, in which huge block
OF ice and inuumerable soda water bot
ties and beer bottles figure largely. 1t
is rare to gather together more than 12
men. 1t may have been different ir
olden times, but polo is a formidable
rival to pig sticking nowadays, and the
ordinary British subaltern can rarely af-
ford time and money for both. Indeed.
from my own experience, should say
the average field was not above FIVE, and
personally, | much prefer, except from
the social point of view, very few COM
panions.
The officer in command divides the
party, if large enough, into little sections
of three, and each section separates from
the other and keeps together all day.
either at one end of tho line or in the
middle. The coolies are usually about
90 in number and form line, c.Eering
about 200 yards Of ground. Zach is
armed, or should be. with n big stick,
and the end men carry flags, which can
be seen above the long grass and helm to
keep the coolies in line. Behind them
marches on each wing ono of the shl-
kari's satellites, and in tho center is the
shlkarl himself on horseback, and these
officers, like sergeants, keep the line
straight, and cZhort. often in language
moro forciblc than polite, the apathetic
coolies to strenuous oycrtions. The
sportsmen generally rido few yards in
advance of tho line, unless, from tho na-
turo of the covert, tho pig il likely to
break back.
A pig lies usually in kind of form
like hare and will sometimes let n
man or horse almost tread on him be
fore moving, and being often covered
with mud or dust is very difficult to see
IN the grass and weeds. When, how
ever, he does jump up, he slips along at
an incredible speed for tho first 30 or 40
yards and then settles down to very
fast gallop. have known boars at once
on being put up make straight for the
hrSt man or horse they see before they
have been wounded or touched. and, as
an know, the tusk of the wild boar cuts
like razor, though luckily the wound
Is usually healthy, clean cut-very diff
ferent from mauling by the fetid claws
OF tiger or leopard or the thrust of a
stag's horn.
wherever n pig gets up one of the
sections go after it, and there are various
little rules as to how the pig should be
attacked and in what order. The most
important rule is never to drop YOUR
spear, still less throw it at the pig, rs
some beginners have been known to do.
spears are weighted with lead at the
handle, and when dropped from the hand
IN the long grass, the sharp end, being
the lighter, naturally sticks up, so that
the next horseman or beater may be
wounded. know of several horrible ac.
cidents that have happened in this wav.
Inc man who first draws blood gets
"the first spear" and is entitled to the
carcass. The body is given to the coolies
10 eat, and the head is taken home by the
triumphant sportsman to adorn lis bun.
galow hall, or the tushes are taken out
and made into some knickknac!:. Of
coarse he is in honor bound to helm
ialrly kill as well as prick his foe, but it
Is the second horseman, riding perhaps
Tour lengths behind him. who has tie
most dangerous part to play. A pir
When wounded rarely pursues his for
mer course, and the leader often loses
touch with him, while his follower has
70 pear the full brunt of terrific charge.
II Is fatal to receive boar's charge MT a
walk or trot One cannot 20 too fast
not straight at the pig, bat at a slight
angle to him as he charges.
IN bonoay long spear is used. and
the boar is stuck by an "undorhand-
thrust. In eastern Bengal iabbing
spear Is used and is more deadly. ] think.
VI VI course 1t is unlawful 10 stjci; sows.