CHAPTER III
It was some time before I could obtain a commission in the army, and
for several months I was perfectly at liberty to sport away my time
and money in the most gentleman-like manner. You may easily imagine
that I spent much of both out of town with such gallant fellows as
knew how to make the most of an open forest country. The very
recollection of those amusements gives me fresh spirits, and creates a
warm wish for a repetition of them. One morning I saw, through the
windows of my bed-room, that a large pond not far off was covered with
wild ducks. In an instant I took my gun from the corner, ran down-
stairs and out of the house in such a hurry, that I imprudently struck
my face against the door-post. Fire flew out of my eyes, but it did
not prevent my intention; I soon came within shot, when, levelling my
piece, I observed to my sorrow, that even the flint had sprung from
the cock by the violence of the shock I had just received. There was
no time to be lost. I presently remembered the effect it had on my
eyes, therefore opened the pan, levelled my piece against the wild
fowls, and my fist against one of my eyes. [The Baron's eyes have
retained fire ever since, and appear particularly illuminated when he
relates this anecdote.] A hearty blow drew sparks again; the shot went
off, and I killed fifty brace of ducks, twenty widgeons, and three
couple of teals. Presence of mind is the soul of manly exercises. If
soldiers and sailors owe to it many of their lucky escapes, hunters
and sportsmen are not less beholden to it for many of their successes.
In a noble forest in Russia I met a fine black fox, whose valuable
skin it would have been a pity to tear by ball or shot. Reynard stood
close to a tree. In a twinkling I took out my ball, and placed a good
spike-nail in its room, fired, and hit him so cleverly that I nailed
his brush fast to the tree. I now went up to him, took out my hanger,
gave him a cross-cut over the face, laid hold of my whip, and fairly
flogged him out of his fine skin.
Chance and good luck often correct our mistakes; of this I had a
singular instance soon after, when, in the depth of a forest, I saw a
wild pig and sow running close behind each other. My ball had missed
them, yet the foremost pig only ran away, and the sow stood
motionless, as fixed to the ground. On examining into the matter, I
found the latter one to be an old sow, blind with age, which had taken
hold of her pig's tail, in order to be led along by filial duty. My
ball, having passed between the two, had cut his leading-string, which
the old sow continued to hold in her mouth; and as her former guide
did not draw her on any longer, she had stopped of course; I therefore
laid hold of the remaining end of the pig's tail, and led the old
beast home without any further trouble on my part, and without any
reluctance or apprehension on the part of the helpless old animal.
Terrible as these wild sows are, yet more fierce and dangerous are the
boars, one of which I had once the misfortune to meet in a forest,
unprepared for attack or defence. I retired behind an oak-tree just
when the furious animal levelled a side-blow at me, with such force,
that his tusks pierced through the tree, by which means he could
neither repeat the blow nor retire. Ho, ho! thought I, I shall soon
have you now! and immediately I laid hold of a stone, wherewith I
hammered and bent his tusks in such a manner, that he could not
retreat by any means, and must wait my return from the next village,
whither I went for ropes and a cart, to secure him properly, and to
carry him off safe and alive, in which I perfectly succeeded.
