Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-12-16
INDIAN PIG STICKING.
ONE MAN WHO SAYS IT 10 THE
FINEST SPORT IN THE WORLD.


India and Nerthern Africa Arc Hunted
by Enthusiastic sporrsmen of Other
cauntries-~PIsnty Of Danger.
As an ardent pig sticker may be for
given for advancing the opinion that IT
Il the finest sport in the world. BY ''pig
sticking" Of course mean pig sticking
as il Is racticed in India and in north
ern Africa and perhaps In some other
English eolunies--viz. riding down the
pig on horseback and dispatching him
with spears
The Indian wild pig varies naturally
according to bis home. The biggest |
have ever seen were in the vindhya
mountains. where used TO shoot them
as food for my heaters. Sometimes they
were Of vast size, bigger. think. than
even their Gauges cousins.
A popularity Of the wild pig II the
straightness Of hia tail as compared with
the curled appendage OF his domestic
brother. From the top of his low fore
head to the end of his snout Is almost
perfectly straight line. and he has far
longer snout and jaw than the English
market pig. His skin Ia a kind OF
blush gray and his bristles gray or
black. though sometimes an almost
brown pig is found. The wild pig viii
never live far from water. He is hap
| piest In the long grass. often 10 feet high,
that grows along the banks Of the big
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. no sal
lies forth from cover and will go many
miles to find the succulent sugar cane or
other luxury. returning as rulc about
an hour before the first streaks of dawn.
Pig sticking begins usually about
Christmas week, when the giant vegeta-
ton OF the rains has died down sufficient
ly 10 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 a. m, after light break
fast. the sportsmen set out-usually H..
"tumtums'-to the meet, having sen.
. their spears and horses on ahead over
night, together with the all important
. mess tiffin basket. in which 4 huge block
of ice and innumerable soda water bot
. ties and beer bottles figure largely. II
! Is rare to gather together more than IL
: men. II may have been different ir
olden times. but polo is q 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
i 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 the line or in the
! middle. The coolies arc usually about
! 80 in number and form line. covering
i about 200 yards Of ground. Each il
4 armed, or should be, with big stick
!. and the end men carry flags, which car
\ be seen above the long grass and help ii
4 keep the coolies In line. Behind then
i
kari's satellites. and in the center 10 th,
!. shikari himself on horseback. and thes,
q officers, like sergeants, keep the Lint
n straight, and exhort, often in langnag,
= moro forcible than polite. the apatheti,
:. coolies to strenuous exertions. TIL,
i sportsmen generally ride few yards i.
% advance of tho line, unless, from tho ma
1 ture Of the covert, tho pig Is likely /,
i break back
u A pig lies usually in kind Of form
like o hare and will sometimes let
man or horse almost tread on him be
fore moving. and being often covere,
with mud OF dust is very difficult to SO
Il In the grass and weeds. When, how
d ever, he does jump up, he slips along q
> an incredible speed for tho first 80 or 4
|. yards and then settles down to yer,
b fast gallop. hare known bears at one
l. on being put mp make straight for til
l. first man or horse they SEQ before the
n have been wounded or touched, and, a
" all know. the tusk of the wild boar cut
a like razor. though luckily the woun
10 is usually healthy. clean cut-very dill
ferent from rnauling by the fetil claw
l. Of tiger or leopard or the thrust of
a stays horn.
10 Wherever pig gets up one of tn
3 sections go after it. and there are variou
., little rules as TO how tho pig shonld b
,r attacked and in what order. The Eaos
10 important rule il never to drop You
d spear. still less throw II ut The pig, i
- some beginners have been known to ds
Spears are weighted with lead at I'll
81 handle, and when dropped from tho han
rs In the long grass, the sharp end, BEN
1T the lighter. naturally sticks mp, so thu
a the next horseman or heater may |
10 wounded. know of several horrible o.
i. cidents that have happened in this way
v. The man who first draws blood re
1.-THE first spear" and Is entitled 10 Il
carcass. The body Is given to the COOL,
a. TO eat, and the head is taken home by II
~ triumphant sportsman to adorn lis bul
8 galow hall. or the sushes are taken On
:. and made into some knickknacl:. {
!. coarse he 10 in honor bound to he
:. fairly kill MS well rs prick his foe. but
n Is the second horseman, riding perhal
= four lengths behind him. who has ii
~ most dangerous part to play. A n
!. when wounded rarely pursues his 70
!. mer course. aud the leader often los
- touch with him. while his follower hl
10 bear the full brunt of q terrific charg
We Il is fatal TO receive bears charge al
Mt walk or trot. One cannot 20 too fast.
a not straight at the pig, but at siigl