The Nineteenth Century , No 182, Apr 1892 [‎68v] (141/244)

626
THE NINETEENTH CEN April
to all the unaccustomed noises of the camp. By degrees silence fell
more and more; only the dogs kept up their snarling and barking,
and the curious guttural talk of the Moors seemed never to cease.
It was all very odd and weird, and there was a delightful feeling of
airiness without being cold; presently our remarks grew fewer and
fewer, and soon we too were asleep.
At 6.30 we woke with a start, a dim light was in the tent, and a
voice outside asked if we were awake, and promised to send us hot
water. Dressing in a narrow space with none of one's usual comforts is
never an exhilarating process, and I don't know that it was pleasanter
in our tent than elsewhere • still we got through with it, and were
ready for breakfast at a quarter to eight, while the start for pig
sticking was to be at 8.30. Then came the preparations and stir at
starting, everyone looking to their girths and saddles, the men hunt
ing for their spears, the ladies looking for chairs or big stones to mount
by; and then in good time we were off. The ladies, and three of
the men not hunting that day, were stationed near the top of a hill,
overlooking the ground to be beaten; five hunters went with the
beaters, and four (in case the boars broke back) were placed in pairs
at the foot of the hill on which we were. We could see the whole
hunt beautifully. We had dismounted, and our horses were led round
the hill out of sight, and we ourselves were told to hide away among
the bushes as much as possible. We could see the long line of
beaters forcing their way through the bushes, and could hear their
wild cries; every now and then there was a puff of smoke, followed
by a sharp report—this meant that a pig had been sighted ; but no
pig broke back, so that our four hunters stationed below perforce
remained as idle as ourselves. At last a pig did break cover. A black
object came out of the wood and adventured itself on the sandy swamp
below: great excitement among us on the brow of the hill, especially as
the hunters below evidently did not see the animal. But the pig did
not appear to like the look of the swamp, as presently it turned itself
round and toddled gently back into the wood.
Another long wait: the clouds were gathering and over the sea
it looked terribly disagreeable and threatening. But now, again, a
black object appeared below, and this time it kept steadily on across
the sand, evidently making for our hills; this time, too, the horsemen
below saw it, and prepared themselves to give chase ; two of them
getting lower down, ready to start across the sand, when the boar
should be near enough for them to show themselves. Steadily the
boar came on and was now halfway across; then the two horsemen,
lance in hand, spurred on to meet it as fast as might be across the
sand ; the animal saw them and turned—it was a race now as to which
should reach the wood first; the sand seemed heavy and the horses
laboured, but they gained on the pig. Now one was up with it, and
the pig turned ; the second horse reared and plunged—it would not