At that moment _Yelpa_ missed his footing and fell. In less than the 100th part of a second I had lassoed him round the collar, and saved my gallant and faithful friend; but there was no time for attending to his wounds, as at that instant the Wild Hog, frantic with rage, sprang from the rock straight at me, mouth open and bristles erect. One billionth part of a second of suspense, and the next minute my pig-sticking spear had passed through him, and _Wheezer_, I, and the Hog sank exhausted on the other side of the ravine, just as a shriek broke on my ear, and I was able to see that SWINDLAH'S underbred horse having refused a narrower place lower down, had, in consequence (for this, strange as it may appear, was the first time that braggart SWINDLAH had ever been out riding) pitched SWINDLAH right over his head into the abyss below. I returned home in triumph. Bonfires and rejoicings all night. Torch and Nautch till daybreak. No one thought of looking for SWINDLAH till next morning, when nothing was found of him except his turban. His horse was browsing peacefully within a few yards of the spot where SWINDLAH had disappeared. The money I had fairly won was never paid, but the nobility and gentry subscribed towards a medal, which was struck in commemoration of the event. I send one to you, one to the Vatican, and a third to the British Museum. I need hardly say that after this--(_We omit the remainder, as the work will probably be published in full at some future time_). * * * * * [Illustration: 1889 1890 A MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! ] * * * * * [Illustration: MR. PUNCH APPEARS AT THE CARNIVAL OF NATIONS! "Much have I seen and known; cities of men And manners, climates, councils, governments, Myself not least, but honour'd of them all."--TENNYSON'S "_Ulysses_." ] * * * * * Transcriber's Note ^ represents a superscript. = = represents bold text; _ _ represents italic text. Calendar, October: | 14| Tu | B. Senlac | The Battle of Senlac is now more correctly known as the Battle of Hastings (1066). (See 'Feudal England' by J. H. Round - 1895). There are some differences in spelling of the same name within an article, which may have been deliberate, and have been retained. * * * * * End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch's Almanack for 1890, by Various