The Hunt
"I am Harold of the Tuchuks," he said, "I am a skilled tarnsman, I have ridden over a thousand tarns. I have spent more time in the tarn saddle than most men on their feet. I was conceived on tarnback, I was born on tarnback. I eat tarns. Fear me! I am Harold of the Tuchuks!"The bird, if such emotions it could have, was looking at him, askance and baffled. Any instant I expected it to pick Harold from the roof with its beak, bite him in two and eat the pieces. But the bird seemed utterly startled, if possible, dumbfounded.
Harold turned to face me. "How do you ride a tarn?" he asked. (Nomads of Gor)
Unlike other beasts, the bosk is not swiftly out manuevered and killed. It takes great patience and stamina to bring one bull down. Several riders in fact, will single out the one bull and attempt to wear him down for hours as they ride up close beside him and repeatedly thrust their lances at his sides. It is only after the long chase and the loss of much blood that the bosk bull will begin to grow exhausted, and only then that men might slay him.
I was covered in sweat and dirt and blood after several hours giving chase to the largest bull bosk of the heard, myself quite exhausted from the long and arduous hunt. And yet it was my lance... mine alone that cause the great beast to heave his last and fall. So heavy was he, that he shook the ground upon impact. He was still alive, though barely... and as I peered into his red colored eyes, I thanked him solemnly just moments before I slit his gullet wide open and released him to the great Sky Ubar.
It took a team of four yoked bosk merely to drag the great bull's massive carcass up onto the flatbed wagon's gate, using many ropes, wheels, and leverage... while every kaiila kept the wagon from rolling away beneath the monstrous weight by pulling in the opposite direction.
It is not so often that a man's lance is the dividing point between which the bosk stands and falls... and so it is that he alone claims the victory for having slain the bosk. Too, upon arrival back to camp, it is anticipated that Tuchuks will honor the fortunate warrior with many cheers and praise. It is also anticipated that every Tuchuk will participate in the division of spoils, for there is much meat and hide, as well as bones, horns and hooves. Following this there is of course, the anticipation of a great feast on fresh roasted bosk meat, while the rest is caked in salt brine and left to dry for many days in the warm sun.
