Patrick O’Brian - Caesar & Hussein - Two Classic Novels from the Author of MASTER AND COMMANDER

But it was no good. All my growls and scratchings he mistook for signs of pleasure, so soon I gave it up.

When he had found several footprints my master took me to them and, selecting a very large one, said: ‘Fetch him, Cæsar!’ I felt a slight sinking of the heart as I saw that it was that of a remarkably large boar, probably the chief of the sounder. But nevertheless I followed the trail along a stretch of very difficult country, all stony with only a sprinkling of grass here and there.

My master followed, still holding the chain, but soon he took it off. He made such a noise in walking and he smelt so strongly that I was afraid we would never get near enough to catch any of them.

However, things turned out better than I had hoped, for after not more than ten minutes of stony ground we reached a lot of long green grass which held the scent, and I could see that the grass had been crushed in places.

Now I went very slowly, for as the scent was very fresh here I felt that we might come on them suddenly. We crept on through the grass, my master crawling with his hands like a rational beast, and we soon found the pigs in a grove of bamboo, eating the tender shoots.

The great boar was feeding with the rest, and as the sentinel pig had not seen us, I hoped to be able to dash in and kill the boar in the confusion.

Then my master sneezed, and in an instant the fat sows and the tender sucking pigs were in full flight. Only the boar stayed to block my path, to let the others escape. He did not think that I was after him, for who would prefer a tough boar to a fat and tender sow?

However, I charged in directly and got my shoulder laid open for my folly, and remembering the tiger whom I had seen killed before, I contented myself with circling round and looking for an opening. I rather wished that my master had had better eyes when he picked out this pig’s footprints, but for all that it promised to be a grand fight.

Suddenly I saw an opening as the boar had turned a little too slowly, and I darted in, rolling him over and tearing his flank in my endeavour to pin him down. But in a flash he had whipped round his head and with his tusk had cut into the pad of my right forepaw. Then as I released my hold he rolled over and got on his feet again, aiming a wicked thrust at my unprotected stomach.

With a roar I sprang out of range, and as he was carried on a little way by the impetuosity of his thrust, I leaped in and gave him a blow which smashed his skull in, and he fell kicking feebly. But he was dead almost as soon as he touched the ground.

I am glad that I was able to finish him when I did, for as I was lamed by the cut in my paw I could not have lasted very much longer.

As soon as the boar fell my master came from his hiding-place and walked towards the boar, saying, ‘Leave it, Cæsar — good boy.’

This time I did not hesitate, and left it at once, and went over to him, looking up for approval.

On seeing my blood he knelt down on the grass and took up my injured paw, talking kindly all the time. The place was bleeding fast and hurting abominably, so he tore a large piece from his clothes and wrapped it round the wound. I tried to walk on the paw, but the pain made me desist. Meanwhile my master was covering the hog with a heap of stones. Evidently he did not mean to carry it with him.

Then he set off towards the hut where we had left the horse, and I walked slowly on three legs, and he tried to help me along, but the march back to the hut was the slowest and most painful that I have ever made.

At last we reached it, just after the sun had set.

A panther was prowling around, attracted no doubt by the scent of the horse, which I could hear snorting angrily. The panther cleared off, however, at our approach. The horse, being down-wind of us, caught our scent, and I heard him whinnying with pleasure.

On reaching the hut my master went in, and after searching round for a little while, he brought out a metal box, from which he took a blue bottle containing some brown fluid, which he poured on to my wound.

It stung horribly. At first I thought that he was playing a trick on me, but the thought was foolish, so I dismissed it from my mind at once. Having done this he bound it up again and reentered the hut and brought out the chain, with which he tied me up to a post, and then he went back to the hut saying, ‘On guard, Cæsar.’

I understood what he meant and I prepared to have a sleepless night. I felt sure that he would not have said ‘on guard’ if he had known how tired I was, and all night I paced up and down, and sometimes lay down, but I never went to sleep, in case a panther, or perhaps a leopard, should come along.

Once or twice I heard the coughing roar of a panther, and again I caught the scent of a leopard, but neither of the creatures attacked me, for which I was extremely thankful, as I could not have held my own against either of them with my paw in the state that it was.

But at last morning came, with one of the most beautiful sunrises that I have ever seen.

Then presently my master woke up, and after harnessing the horse, he set off towards the place where we had left the boar. After taking my chain off, and telling me to have a good sleep, he shut me in the hut.

I heard the noise of the horse die away in the distance and then I went to sleep. Hardly had I closed my eyes, however, when I was awakened by a soft hiss, and starting up I saw a large sized python surveying me with glittering eyes.

I jumped up, and either my eyes were deceiving me or something, for between me and the terrible snake I clearly saw my mother. She looked pale and smoky, but perhaps that was the sleep in my eyes, and I thought I saw her baring her teeth in a snarl at the snake.

The snake glided out of the door, which was slightly ajar.

Then the thought that perhaps she had lived through the fire flashed through my mind, and I started forward with a purr of delight to meet her, but to my horror and amazement there was nothing there. I had gone right through her.

Turning round — I thought perhaps she was hiding, but after searching the hut I was convinced that I must have imagined the whole thing, in a sort of waking dream. But there were still the snake marks in the dust on the floor to explain away, but not the faintest scent of her or a footmark except my own was in the hut.

Greatly puzzled by this incident, I walked up and down trying to solve the mystery, but then almost at once my master came in, with the body of the boar, which he had fetched with the horse.

I suppose he put down my agitation to my wound.

As the cut was practically closed, we set off for the house, and going rather slowly we reached it by midday.

When I was going to my cage I trod on a sharp flint, which opened the cut again, so feeling rather angry and upset I let my master bind it up again, but I soon worried the bandage off as I was feeling rather peevish.

Until nightfall I wondered how to explain the fact that the snake had not appeared at all alarmed at my mother’s presence.