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+====== TRAVELS OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN ======
+===== CHAPTER III =====
+//An encounter between the Baron's nose and a door-post, with its
+  wonderful effects--Fifty brace of ducks and other fowl destroyed
+  by one shot--Flogs a fox out of his skin--Leads an old sow home in
+  a new way, and vanquishes a wild boar.//
+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.
+----
+Go to [[CHAPTER IV]]