Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1893-12-15


as It b ~
English colonies cre4
pig on horseback ana M.
with spears.
The Indian wild pir 80,
according to his home &
have ever seen were Il 1.
mountains. where used 4 Y
as food for my beaters. esm.s
were OF vast size, bigger ! W!
even their Gauges consins 10y
A popularity Of the via :,
straightness of his tail Is co,. y
the curled appendage Il N
brother. From the top 81 II,
head to the end of his spon, = y Y
perfectly straight line, ana l. !
longer snout and jaw than 4, II y
market pig. His skin /.
blush gray and his brist,.
black. though sometime J,
brown pig is found. Tbs NY, II
never live fer from water ~ 81
piest in the long grass. often q y ~
that grows along the bapts y
Indian rivers, and above All s
"jao," a kind of evergreen NV
that is as common as the grass ~ n
eats at night. and about 10 { Z
lies forth from cover and Mil II =
miles to find the succulent suc, y
other luxury. returning as i mn n
an hour before the first streaks y
Pig sticking begins usually
Christmas week, when the sian, :,
ton of the rains has died down MA
ly to get at piggy. and fila 4.
ground where he lives is firm enons
horses, but 1t is not till the end Il
ruary that really good pig sticli,,
gins. and it improves as the westss
dryer and hotter till the June rains
and pig sticking instantly ceases
AT about G a. M. after ligbt I.
fast, the sportsmen set out-usu,n.
"tumtums"--to the meet. bay;n, !.
their spears and horses on ahead I
night, together with the ali imr.,]
mess tiffln basket. in winch a bugs M
of ice and innumerable soda wate, n
ties and beer bottles figure largey
is rare to gather together more th,,
men. 1t may have been aiferer,
olden times, but polo is a formid,s
rival to pig sticking nowadays Ana 4
ordinary British subaltern can rarely
ford time and money for both. Ina,
from my own experience, | should /
the average field was not above five !
personally, much prefer, except Il
the social point of view. very few O.
panions.
The officer in command divides
party, if large enough, into little sscti
of three, and each section separatesir
the other and keeps together all 4
either at one end of the line or in
middle. Tho coolies are usually al
so in number and form line, cjyel
about 200 yards of ground. Each
armed, or should be. with big It
and the end men carry flags. which
be seen above the long grass and bel
keep the coolies in line. Behind /
marches on each wing ono Of the
kari's satellites, and in tho center i
shikari himself on horseback, and I
officers, like sergeants, keep the
straight, and cxhort. often in lang
moro forcible than polite, the apatl
coolies to strenuous czcrtions.
sportsmen generally rido q few var
advance of tho line, unless, from Ii
turc of the covert. the pig il like
break back.
A pig lies usually in kind Of
like q llaro and will sometimes
man or horse almost tread on hit
foro moving. and being often co
with mud or dust is very difficult
in the grass and weeds. When,
ever. no does jump mp, he slips alo
an incredible speed for tho first 80
yards and then settles down to
fast gallop. I have known bears q
on being put up mako straight f
first man or horse they SEQ before
have been wounded or touched, u
all know, the tusk of the wild boa
like a razor, though luckily the '
is usually a healthy. clean cut-yel
ferent from a mauling by tho fetid
of tiger or leopard or the thrus
stag's horn.
Wherever pig gets up one
sections go after it, and there are v
little rules as to how the pig shor
attacked and in what order. Tht
important rule is never to drop
spear, still less throw it at the
some beginners have been known
Spears are weighted with lead
handle. and when dropped from tn
in the long grass, the sharp end,
the lighter, naturally sticks mp, s
the next horseman or heater IN
wounded. l know of several horn
cidents that have happened in this
The man who first draws bloc
1.-The first spear" and is entitled
carcass. The body is given to the
TO eat, and tho head is taken home
triumphant sportsman to adorn II
galow hall. or the tushes are tax
and made into some Enickknac
course he is in honor bound 7
fairly kill rs well as prick his foe,
is the second horseman, riding P
four lengths behind him. who .
most dangerous part to play. :,
when wounded rarely pursues
mer course, and the leader ottel
touch with him. while his follow
to bear the full brunt of terrific {
1t is fatal to receive a boar's char
walk or trot. One cannot go too
not straight at the pig, but at q
angle to him as he charges.
IN Bombay a long spear is use
the boar is stuck by an '.unde;l
| thrust In aoS+o,-,, RnnOol n /;