Year: 1869

On part of the Neligherry Hills,


where l was particularly fond of hunt


ing, there lived, in 1868, very large


and mighty boar. This grand Old beast


was so cunning that, though my camp


was pitched in the middle of his favor


lite haunts, and though my old hunting


companion, Captain Brine, and con-


stantly met him, we never managed TO
| get shot. One evening, after sitting


and watching without success for some


time, got up, leaving myself sufficient
| light to look about me as | strolled


home to the camp. Seeing Captain
Brine coming home, [ made quietly
| down to meet him at the foot of large


wood, through which / knew he would


pass. Presently he appeared in great
| excitement, t. Hing me he bad lust met
| the old boar face to face on the little
forest path, but that he had wheeled


and 5olted too quickly for him to get a
! shot.


lie had just whispered this to me
when, with tremendous grunts, out by


our very side, across the mountain


stream which ran along the edge ofthe


wood, bolted the boar, and dashed off


across little green bay, towards an


other wing of the wood. Instinctively


raised my old PurGy rifle, and was in


the act of pressing the trigger, when


there was sound like distant thunder,
a great yellow streaK, and in an instant


the mountains round were eehoing and


re-eehoing the firm roars and shreks
of q tigress and the boar as they writhed
and twisted round, over and under each
other in the most deadly combat, For
ta1n at,f fx~,,


boar seemed to hold his own, buE the
fearful strength and activity ef his foe


WAS far more than match for his des-
perate courage. In much less time
than it takes to write this, the poor old
fellow was over on his back. the tigress
curled over him, burying her fearful
fangs in his swartliy throat. All this,
as | have said, took place in moment,
and until now | had been in vain try
ing to get shot, so mixed up together
was the str lggllng mass that had not
been able to distinguish the tigress from
the boar. This was my time, and as
quietly as possible, considering the in
tense excitement OF the moment. fired
both barrels at the tigress. For a Sec
ond OF two she took no notice of me,
but continued munching and worrying
at the unfortunate boar's throat, he
squealing all the time exactly like a
tame pig under the butchers hand, a
weakness never knew wild boar gull
ty of before or since. Presently the |
wounds began to tell, and dropping the |
boar suddenly she skunk back to the |
wood. just as she got to the stream, |
for the first time he spied us,


1t was one of the most unpleasant |
moments eyerremember, both barrels |
unloaded, and the wounded and baffled |
tigress within twelve yards standing |
staring at us in savage astonishment.- =
Brine single barrel was our only hone. |
We stood quite still, and most truly |
thankful we were to see her turn, CT oss |
the stream, and bound inro the wood. |
Brine sending his bullet after her to
quicken her pace, a proceeding which
we have often doubted the wisdom Of
since. Upon looking round for the
dead boar, rs we thought, what was our
not sign of him was to be
seen. He had managed to get off to
die, a lingering death, for we never saw
him again. The next morning, as soon
as it was light. we were off to look for
the tigress. We found blood at once;
following this it led us straight to some
very wild rocks, aud here we lost it,
We never found her, but four clubs that
| saw feeding on dead buffalo some
DAYS afterwards most probably belong
ed to her. Had not interfered | have
no doubt in a few minutes she would
have killed the boar, and as he was
really an unusually large and power
Iul beast, and she anything but what |
would call large tigress, it shows what
perfect masters the large earnivoreus
beasts are of the work they are design
ed to perform in nature when they are
n earnest Victor Brooks Land and
Water