Rock Island Argus., 1894-06-16
INDIAN PIG STICKING.
ONE MAN WHO SAYS II Is THE
FINEST SPORT m THE WORLD.

FINEST SPORT m THE WORLD.
How the wild Boars Of the Jungles Of
India and Northern Africa Are Hunted
By Enthusiastio sportsmen oe Other
Countries-Plenty Of Danges.
As an ardent pig sticker I may be for
given for advancing the opinion that it
Is the finest sport in the world. BY 'spig
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 biggest
have ever seen were in the Vindhya
mountains. where used to shoot them
as food for my beaters. Sometimes they
were Of vast size, bigger. think, than
even their Ganges cousins.
A popularity of tho wild pig il the
straightness of his 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 Q
perfectly straight line. and he has far
longer snout and jaw than the English
market pig. His skin is a kind Of
blush gray and his bristles gray or
black, though sometimes an almost
brown pig is found. Tho wild pig will
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. IN. he sal
lies forth from cover and will go many
miles to find the succulent sugar cane or
other luxury, returning as u rule 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 to get at piggy, and the marshy
ground where he lives is firm enough for
horses, but it is rot 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. IN. after a light break
fast. the sportsmen set out-usually ir.
''tuntums'-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 innumerable soda water bot
ties and beer bottles figure largely. Ii
is rare TO gather together more than IL
men. 1t may have been different ir
olden times. bat 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. l should say
the average field was not above five, and
personally, l 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 the line or in the
middle. The coolies are usually about
! 80 in number and form line, covering
about 200 yards of ground. Each is
armed. or should be, with a big stick,
and the end men carry flags, which can
be seen above the long grass and help to
keep the coolies in line. Behind them
marches on each wing one of the shi.
kaTis satellites, and in the center is the
shikari himself on horseback, and these
officers, like sergeants, keep the line
straight, and exhort, often in language
more forcible than polite, the apathetic
coolies to strenuous exertions. The
sportsnen generally ride few yards il
advance of the line. unless, from the na
ture of the covert, the pig is likely te
break back.
A pig lies usually in kind Of form
like hare and will sometimes let 9
man or horse almost tread On him be
| fore moving, and being often covered
with mud CT dust is very difficult to SEE
in the grass and weeds. When, how
ever. he does jump up, he slips along al
an incredible speed for the first 80 or Al
yards and then settles down to a yery
fast gallop. have known boars at once
on being put up make straight for the
first man or horse they see before they
have been wounded or touched, and. a.
all know, the tusk Of the wild boar cut.
like a razor, though luckily the wound
is usually a healthy, clean cut-very diff
ferent from mauling by the fetid claw,
Of a tiger or leopard or the thrust of &
stag's horn.
Wherever a pig gets up one of tn,
sections go after it, and there are various
little rules as to how tho pig should b,
attacked and in what order. The mos
important rule is never to drop you,
spear. still less throw it ut the pig, n.
some beginners have been known to do
Spears are weighted with lead at til,
handle. and when dropped from the hant
in the long grass. the sharp end, bein:
the lighter, naturally sticks up, SO tha
the next horseman or beater may b,
wounded. know of several horrible ac
cidents that have happened in this way.
The man who first draws blood get
1.-The first spear" and is entitled to tn,
carcass. The body is given to the coolie,
to eat, and the head is taken home by tn,
triumphant sportsman to adorn his bun
galow hall. or the tushes are taken ou
and made into some l.nickknacL. O
course he is in honor bound to hel,
R.;~1,, LII M ~,,a11 NO 81, H., e., 1..k