The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-09-24
A HUNTER TREED.

The Southern hunters tell wonderful
stories of their adventure in the forest. 1
would not care to vouch for them all, nor,
indeed, for all of any one of them but
it is proper to remember that what appears
incredible to the man of civilization seems
to be quite probable, and even commons
place, in the Western wilds. Let me
tell single story, to illustrate some of
their exaggerations, which was related to
a circle of Southern men in a Mississippi
steamer, and did not seem to be doubted as
an authentic incident by any one of them
The pecarry is . creature of the hog
species, and is utterly fearless. 1t pays
no regard to rife balls unless they hit it.
and never, hesitates to attack any one and
every one, whether man or beast, that
comes across its path. A relentless war
is waged against it by the Southern hunt
ers, as much for their own safety as from
any love of the sport. 1t has won the
reputation of being the only wild game
which the experienced hunter always runs
from instead of stopping to fight.
A Texan said that once when he was
shooting in a swamp he killed couple of
peccaries (This creature roams in hocks
numbering from ten to fifty.) In an in
slant the whole company turned upon
him, and he at once ran to a tree and
| sprang into its branches. One, two, three
hours passed and yet no help came He
was separated from his friend, and did
| not dare to stir from his position. Get
ting "oneasy both in body and mind, he
moved a little to make his seat easier"
and losing his balance, fell. Luckily, he
said, he dropped his rife, and caught hold
of a lower branch of the tree and cIung to
it for his life, with his feet within a cou-
pie of yards of ''the sile.''
"This," he added, ''was very okkard
and cud see the peccaries jumpin' up to
catch hold of my feet Fortunately they
| couldn't reach, and thought was safe
but only see the cunnin' of them critters
Several of them lay down on their stom-
achs, and others get on their backs, 80 as
| TO form a platform. The head .peccsry
got on to it, and jumped up, and seized
me by the heel of the right boot l
kicked at him with my left foot, like
| horse, and when we were a-strugglin', the
other paccaries rolled from under him and
left him hangin' on to my heel by his
tusks, while his friends were asgruntin'
away like mad all round They made
most dreadful nize ); and my arms were
gettin' tired and / began to make up
my mind that I'd have 30 fall and try
what rush would do among them, when
crack went rife, and down fell the big
gest peccary. 1t took me 30 by surprise
that dropped to the ground and saw that
my friend had come up. But he was
soon in as bad fix as l had been myself
The peccaries made rush for him, and
he was glad to do as [ had done-drop
his rife and hist himself up a tree. l
made for my rifle, and loaded it and
fired; when the pesky things turned on
me, and had to drop it agin and run up
the tree double quick. Then my friend
he come down, got his rife, and blazed
away at them agin; then they went at
him full peIt then l came down and
fired agin and we kept on, firing turn
about, until-you may believe me or not,
as you please, stranger-we done this
fifteen times, and killed the thirty peccaries
between u.s."
This story, with occasional variations
and additions, was told as true story of
Texan hunters life. Whether it was true
the reader can determine for himself.
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