Augustus gained on the boar, who, with his milk-white tusks, bristly back, and sidelong look, presented a most formidable aspect, and was evidently an ugly customer. The planter pushed him closely, and, in passing, delivered his spear with such effect, that it stuck bolt upright in the back of the boar, who nevertheless continued his onward course, as if spitted for the feast.
It was now the turn of De la Chasse; up he came, and in capital style delivered his spear with a coup de théâtre just behind the shoulder, wheeled round his horse with a “ha! ha!” and the monster rolled over and over. He was a magnificent boar, with a hock like a bullock’s, terrific tusks, and such a neck of brawn! e’en such a brute as one sees Madame Diana flying after, barelegged, in an old tapestry, or playing pitch and toss with a score of dogs in one of Snyder’s noble pictures. But ’twas all up with him now; his little blood-shot eyes were half-closed, his tongue was out, and all his sinews and muscles were stiffened in death.
“’Tis ver fine hogue,” said the Frenchman, looking up, after contemplating, him for some minutes in mute delight, and pulling out his gory spear, buried two feet deep in the shoulder; “but I give him dat last poke ver well, eh! by Jhobs?”
“Yes, you certainly finished him in very sportsmanlike style, Monsieur,” replied Augustus; “I thought he would have charged me as I delivered my spear, and am glad he did not, for with those tusks of his, gentlemen, he would have been an ugly customer, and have left his mark on my gallant Rustum and me. But come, we will try up the river again.”
The legs of the boar were now tied, a pole was thrust through them, the huge animal was hoisted on the shoulders of four of the coolies, and home along with us.
The beaters now once more advanced, latees waved, the shouts were renewed, and in a few minutes there was a cry of some animal, when a creature of the deer kind, of a slate colour and clumsy shape, bolted from the reeds, and with an awkward up and down sort of movement, made across the plain.
“A hog-deer,” shouted Mr. Tupper; and with arms and legs working like a mannikins, spurred after him, the rest of party following.
The hog-deer have little speed or bottom, so he was soon overtaken and killed—casting up a piteous look, as Augustus, who on this occasion gave the Frenchman the go-by, drove his keen spear into him.
After the death of the deer, we all by acclamation voted an adjournment to a neighbouring shady tree; there dismounting, and throwing ourselves on the ground, we commenced a vigorous attack on the cold meat and pale ale, chatting, joking, laughing, and masticating, at one and the same time. The game was laid out before us, in order that we might feast our eyes on that, at the same time that we gratified our palates.
