"The hog was originally unknown in a natural condition in America, Australia, and the Pacific islands," replied Doctor Bronson, "and his presence there is due to the early navigators, who turned pigs loose in the forests, and allowed them to shift for themselves. The Spaniards did so in the Philippines three hundred years ago, and it is to them that we owe the great number in the forests of Luzon. Those you have killed are descended from the original importations of the Spaniards, just as the wild hogs in the forests of South America, and on the many islands of the Pacific, are descended from those left by Captain Cook and other explorers."
Fred asked how large these animals became when left to themselves for years in the forest.
"That depends on circumstances," the Doctor answered. "Some of them have been known to weigh four hundred pounds, and occasionally you hear of one that tips the scale at five hundred. I saw one in India that weighed four hundred and fifty-six pounds, and had tusks about ten inches long. The peculiarity of the wild boar is his powerful tusks; they have an awkward appearance, but he can do terrible execution with them, ripping up the flank of a horse as though the horn of a bull had passed through it, and tearing a dog or man to pieces in a few moments. As I told you, when we started in on the hunt, it is well to be cautious about attacking a full-grown boar, on account of the danger from his tusks."
SKULL OF BABIRUSA.
"In some of the islands of the Malay Archipelago," he continued, "there is a species of wild hog called the babirusa, that does not seem to belong to the hog family as we know it. Its legs are longer, and its body is more slender than in the rest of the swine species; it does not root in the ground, but lives on the fruit which falls from the trees. The tusks of the lower jaw are very long and sharp, but the upper ones, instead of growing downward in the usual way, are curved upward and backward to near the eyes, and sometimes they attain a length of eight or ten inches. These tusks do not seem to be of any use, except to protect the eyes from the thorns of the trees and bushes where the animal lives. The babirusa is quite as fierce as the ordinary wild boar, and is more fond of the water. He will take to a pond or river when pursued, and is said to swim with great ease."
"The chase of the wild boar has been a recognized sport in all ages; we read of it in ancient histories as well as in modern ones, and in certain periods of the world it was more fashionable than any other form of hunting. During the Middle Ages it was highly popular in England and on the Continent, but in our day the wild boar has disappeared from England entirely, and is only found in a few parts of Europe. The best localities for hunting him in Europe are in Greece and Italy, but if you want the sport in all its glory you must go to India. One of the great amusements of the British officers in India is "pig-sticking," as it is called, and those who have indulged in it say that the excitement of a pig-chase equals anything they have ever seen."
The conversation was here interrupted by meeting the pavava that had been sent for to bring home the game from the forest. Mr. Segovia gave some directions concerning the work in hand, and then the party rode rapidly to the boat that lay waiting for them. There was a light breeze blowing in the right direction, and so a quick passage was made back to Jala-jala. There was enough to talk about for the evening, and neither of the boys could keep his thoughts away from the fact that he had shot a deer and a boar on the same day, and assisted in the slaughter of a boa-constrictor. It was glory enough for twenty-four hours at least, Frank said, as he went to bed; Fred thought it could be spread over three or four days without becoming too thin, and even a month would not be too much.
"A deer, a hog, and a share in a snake," murmured Fred, as he settled his head on his pillow.