Boar Spearing

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 16, 24 July 1890, Page 3

Boar Spearing

A CAPITAL RUN. ' Twas on a summer's morning in 1875, a bright balmy morning, I sallied forth on a. pig -spearing expedition. No doge and no weapon save an old army bayonel mounted on a. stiff manuka stafi. My steed] an old, tried- stock horse was quick on -his feet and sure. As I rode through an open valley with the dew still on the grass, my spirits rose ve.y high, I felt sure of a good morning's sport if I could come across a few old boars. The place J was making for and where I expected to find pigs, was a narrow valley between ranges of bills. The clear part of the val--1 )y was about thr je miles in length with numerous flat-bottomed gullies opening into it, so that altogether I might have had seven or eight mileß of good hunting county. Just after I had entered the valley, before I had gone a quarter of a mile, I started a mob of about 20 pigs, all sizes ; amongst them was .a -grizzly boar. I made for him at once, and although he was going at a rattling pace I was gaining quickly, when almost upon him a miserable old brute of a sow ran across my track. She somehow got between my horses front feet, and down we all came together — man, horse and pig. Not being hurt I was on my feet in an instant. The old brute that had caused the mishap tried £o run past me, but a lunge from my bayonet put a stop for ever to her running—number one. Remounting my torse/ who was standing quite still, as if it were an every day occurrence. I started off again after the old grizzly, and came up with him after about five minutes run. As I was pressing him very close he turned up the hill side, which *was. a very steep one. Straight up he could not go, but turned along the side, coming almost straight for me, as I was keeping very close to. the bank. When opposite the boar— l d> not think he was six ' feet away from my head and slightly above me — I gave him a thrust with the spear right in the neck, and I knew from the way the bayonet went in that I had got him. The boar drew back when he felt the steel, and then with a tremendous boosh made a jump straight for me. I bent forward, and the brute went right over the horse's back, just grazing my coat. He had received a fatal wound |and never regained his feet —number two. A little further two boars started, both large, but young and hearty. I rode alongside of the nearest one as they were galloping up the 'gully, and with a well-directed thrust killed him instantly — number three. The other boar had got a little distance by this time, but a minutes' run brought me alongside. I tried to pitch him, but misled, just grazing his neck. This scratch seemed to enrage him, and he struck at my horse, indicting a nasty wound on the fore arm. One thrust behind the shoulder in return settled himT— number four. Examining my horse I found it was disabled, for the time at any rate, and I had to dismount and walk home, a distance of nearly six miles ; but I had not done so badly — a quick run and a merry one, and I knew my horse would be well again in a few weeks. . B.