s thus necessary to cheer the pack to the attack, although
a cruel alternative.) In vain I cheered them on. I heard no signs of
his being seized, but the fierce barking of old Smut, mingled with the
savage grunts of the boar, and the occasional cry of a wounded dog,
explained the hopeless nature of the contest. Again I cheered them on,
and suddenly Smut came up to me from the fight, which was now not ten
paces distant, but perfectly concealed in thick bamboo underwood. The
old dog was covered with blood, his back was bristled up, and his deep
growl betokened his hopeless rage. Poor old dog! he had his death-wound.
He seemed cut nearly in half; a wound fourteen inches in length from
the lower part of the belly passed up his flank, completely severing the
muscle of the hind leg, and extending up to the spine. His hind leg had
the appearance of being nearly off, and he dragged it after him in its
powerless state, and, with a fierce bark, he rushed upon three legs once
more to the fight. Advancing to within six feet of the boar, I could not
even see him, both he and the dogs were so perfectly concealed by the
thick underwood. Suddenly the boar charged. I jumped upon a small rock
and hoped for a shot, but although he came within three feet of the
rifle, I could neither see him nor could he see me. Had it not been for
the fear of killing the dogs, I would have fired where the bushes were
moving, but as it was I could do nothing. A rifle was useless in such
jungle. At length the boar broke his bay, but again resumed it in a
similar secure position. There was no possibility of assisting the dogs,
and he was cutting up the pack in detail. If Lucifer and Lena had been
there we could have killed him, but without seizers we were helpless in
such jungle.

This lasted for an hour, at the expiration of which we managed to call
the dogs off. Old Smut had stuck to him to the last, in spite of his
disabled state. The old dog, perfectly exhausted, crawled out of the
jungle: he had received several additional wounds, including a severe
gash in his throat. He fell from exhaustion, and we made a litter
with two poles and a horsecloth to carry him home. Bran, Merriman, and
Ploughboy were all severely wounded. We were thoroughly beaten. It was
the first time that we had ever been beaten off, and I trust it may be
the last. We returned home with our vanquished and bleeding pack--Smut
borne in his litter by four men--and we arrived at the kennel