`If I may trust my nose,' said I, `you have brought something by no means to be despised. Yes,' I continued, putting them to my lips, `these are very fine truffles! Taste them, Fritz.'
`Indeed they are excellent,' said he, `very different from the tough, leathery things I remember in Europe: these are tender and well-flavoured.'
`Because they are fresh,' said I. `You have before tasted those only which have been brought from a distance.
`They are found in different parts of Europe, buried at a depth of ten or twelve inches in the soil of oak or beech woods. A small dog is employed to hunt for them, who perceives their musky odour in a singularly acute way, and at once scratches at the spot where they lie.'
`Have the truffles no leaves or stalks,' inquired Fritz, `by which they might be found without the help of the dog?'
`They have nothing of the sort,' I replied. `They are discovered simply by scent, and are considered to belong to the tribe of Fungi.'
By this time it was late: we took supper, made up the watch-fire, and withdrew to our yacht, where we slept peacefully.
Early next morning we proceeded to visit the field of battle. The wild boar, which I had not before seen, proved to be much larger and more formidable in appearance than I had imagined, and Jack's escape seemed to me perfectly marvellous.
The boys took it as a matter of course that we were to cut out hams and flitches; and we therefore did so, though I warned them that they need not expect much pleasure in eating bacon from a tough old African boar like this. We conveyed the mighty hams to the beach, each on a sledge of plaited boughs and twigs, and drawn by one of the dogs. The monstrous head travelled in the same way, and we collected a large number of truffles before quitting the forest.
As soon as the dogs were released, they rushed back to the scene of operations in the wood, comprehending that they were now free to feast on what remained there.