The Sportsman [23]
is to bring up the pack,[11] which done, they will loose a single Laconian bitch, and keeping the rest in leash, beat about with this one hound.[12] As soon as she has got on the boar's track, let them follow in order, one after another, close on the tracking hound, who gives the lead to the whole company.[13] Even to the huntsmen themselves many a mark of the creature will be plain, such as his footprints on soft portions of the ground, and in the thick undergrowth of forests broken twigs; and, where there are single trees, the scars made by his tusks.[14] As she follows up the trail the hound will, as a general rule, finally arrive at some well-wooded spot; since, as a general rule, the boar lies ensconced in places of the sort, that are warm in winter and cool in summer.
[11] {kunegesion}, "a hunting establishment, huntsmen and hounds, a pack of hounds," L. & S. cf. Herod. i. 36; Pollux. v. 17. In Aristot. "H. A." viii. 5. 2, of wolves in a pack; v. {monopeirai}. {upagein}--"stealthily?"
[12] Or, "go on a voyage of discovery."
[13] Reading {te ikhneuouse}, or if vulg. {ikhneusei}, transl. "set her to follow the trail, at the head of the whole train."
[14] Schneid. cf. Aristot. "H. A." vi. 18; Plin. viii. 52; Virg. "Georg." iii. 255, "ipse ruit, dentesque Sabellicus exacuit sus"; Hom. "Il." xi. 416, xiii. 475; Hes. "Shield," 389; Eur. "Phoen." 1389; Ovid, "Met." viii. 369.
As soon as she has reached his lair she will give tongue; but the boar will not get up, not he, in nine cases out of ten. The huntsman will thereupon recover the hound, and tie her up also with the rest at a good distance from the lair.[15] He will then launch his toils into the wild boar's harbourage,[16] placing the nooses upon any forked branches of wood to hand. Out of the net itself he must construct a deep forward-jutting gulf or bosom, posting young shoots on this side and that within, as stays or beams,[17] so that the rays of light may penetrate as freely as possible through the nooses into the bosom,[18] and the interior be as fully lit up as possible when the creature makes his charge. The string round the top of the net must be attached to some stout tree, and not to any mere shrub or thorn-bush, since these light-bending branches will give way to strain on open ground.[19] All about each net it will be well to stop with timber even places[20] "where harbrough nis to see," so that the hulking brute may drive a straight course[21] into the toils without tacking.
[15] Lit. "accordingly recover the dog, and tie her up also with the rest," etc.
[16] {ormous}. Lit. "moorings," i.e. "favourite haunts." Cf. {dusorma} below. Al. "stelle die Fallnetze auf die Wechsel," Lenz.
[17] {anteridas}. See a note in the "Class. Rev." X. i. p. 7, by G. S. Sale: "It can only mean long sticks used as stretchers or spreaders to hold up the net between and beyond the props." Cf. Thuc. vii. 36, 2.
[18] Or, "within the bay of network."
[19] {sunekhontai en tois psilois ai e}. "Denn diese werden an unbestandenen Orten durch die Leine niedergezogen," Lenz; {sunelkontai} conj. Schn.; {sunerkhontai} al., "concurrunt," vid. Sturz.
[20] {ta dusorma}, met. from "bad harbourage." Cf. Arsch. "Pers." 448; "Ag." 194. Cf. Lat. "importunus," also of "rough ground."
[21] Or, "make his rush."
As soon as the nets are fixed, the party will come back and let the hounds slip one and all; then each will snatch up his javelin[22] and boar-spear, and advance. Some one man, the most practised hand, will cheer on the hounds, and the rest will follow in good order at some considerable distance from one another, so as to leave the animal a free passage; since if he falls into the thick of them as he makes off, there is a fair chance of being wounded, for he will certainly vent his fury on the first creature he falls foul of.
[22] Lit. "then they will take their javelins and boar-spears and advance."
As soon as the hounds are near his lair, they will make their onslaught. The boar,
[11] {kunegesion}, "a hunting establishment, huntsmen and hounds, a pack of hounds," L. & S. cf. Herod. i. 36; Pollux. v. 17. In Aristot. "H. A." viii. 5. 2, of wolves in a pack; v. {monopeirai}. {upagein}--"stealthily?"
[12] Or, "go on a voyage of discovery."
[13] Reading {te ikhneuouse}, or if vulg. {ikhneusei}, transl. "set her to follow the trail, at the head of the whole train."
[14] Schneid. cf. Aristot. "H. A." vi. 18; Plin. viii. 52; Virg. "Georg." iii. 255, "ipse ruit, dentesque Sabellicus exacuit sus"; Hom. "Il." xi. 416, xiii. 475; Hes. "Shield," 389; Eur. "Phoen." 1389; Ovid, "Met." viii. 369.
As soon as she has reached his lair she will give tongue; but the boar will not get up, not he, in nine cases out of ten. The huntsman will thereupon recover the hound, and tie her up also with the rest at a good distance from the lair.[15] He will then launch his toils into the wild boar's harbourage,[16] placing the nooses upon any forked branches of wood to hand. Out of the net itself he must construct a deep forward-jutting gulf or bosom, posting young shoots on this side and that within, as stays or beams,[17] so that the rays of light may penetrate as freely as possible through the nooses into the bosom,[18] and the interior be as fully lit up as possible when the creature makes his charge. The string round the top of the net must be attached to some stout tree, and not to any mere shrub or thorn-bush, since these light-bending branches will give way to strain on open ground.[19] All about each net it will be well to stop with timber even places[20] "where harbrough nis to see," so that the hulking brute may drive a straight course[21] into the toils without tacking.
[15] Lit. "accordingly recover the dog, and tie her up also with the rest," etc.
[16] {ormous}. Lit. "moorings," i.e. "favourite haunts." Cf. {dusorma} below. Al. "stelle die Fallnetze auf die Wechsel," Lenz.
[17] {anteridas}. See a note in the "Class. Rev." X. i. p. 7, by G. S. Sale: "It can only mean long sticks used as stretchers or spreaders to hold up the net between and beyond the props." Cf. Thuc. vii. 36, 2.
[18] Or, "within the bay of network."
[19] {sunekhontai en tois psilois ai e}. "Denn diese werden an unbestandenen Orten durch die Leine niedergezogen," Lenz; {sunelkontai} conj. Schn.; {sunerkhontai} al., "concurrunt," vid. Sturz.
[20] {ta dusorma}, met. from "bad harbourage." Cf. Arsch. "Pers." 448; "Ag." 194. Cf. Lat. "importunus," also of "rough ground."
[21] Or, "make his rush."
As soon as the nets are fixed, the party will come back and let the hounds slip one and all; then each will snatch up his javelin[22] and boar-spear, and advance. Some one man, the most practised hand, will cheer on the hounds, and the rest will follow in good order at some considerable distance from one another, so as to leave the animal a free passage; since if he falls into the thick of them as he makes off, there is a fair chance of being wounded, for he will certainly vent his fury on the first creature he falls foul of.
[22] Lit. "then they will take their javelins and boar-spears and advance."
As soon as the hounds are near his lair, they will make their onslaught. The boar,