The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-04-12


noise, and to make a noise would
alarm the animals, whatever they
we're. 1t was therefore necessary to
get a good view of them without
moving proceeding of some diff
Guilty; but we accomplished it, and
found the creatures were bush-pigs
"a large pig that lives entirely in
the bush, and is about as watchful
and cunning as any animal that in
habits Africa, its powers of hearing
and scent being both very acute. It
knows quite well when any danger
threatens it, and is not without pow
ers of defense, for it possesses sharp
tusks that will rip up a dog or aman
as though razor were used.
1t was scarcely worth while to
alarm any larger animals that might
be near by firing at these pigs, so we
were content to watch them as they
turned up the ground and fed on the
roots they got.
Suddenly, without any apparent
cause, two or three of these pigs gave
a sharp grunt, and ran off into the
bush. We thought they had, by
their power Of scent, discovered our
proximity to them; but we shortly
found thir alarm was due to a much
more dangerous enemy than man
an enemy whose cunning was greater
than even that Of the oldest boar
among the party, and whose strength
was such that a full-grown pig was
compared to him little more than a
rat to cat. The animal that caused
the alarm was leopard. While we
were wondering what had caused the
sudden departure of the pigs, we
heard a rustling of leaves and
branches, a sudden rush, a sound as
of struggling, a sharp squeak or two
and all was quiet agsin. We strain
ed our eyes to distinguish the forms
of the victim and its slayer, as the
two lay half-concealed among the
thick underwood. At length we made
out the form of the leopard, living on
the body OF the pig. The ferocious
animal had adopted its usual mode
OF seizing its prey by the back of the
neck, and had succeeded in breaking
the neck of the pig in a very few
seconds.
Here was a creature well worthy
OF our lead; so we quietly changed
our position to bring the gun to bear
on the leopard. Although apparent
ly fully occupied with its prev, the
leopard was still on the alert, for
slight as was the noise we made ia
moving, he rose quickly, glanced
upward, and, with a graceful bound
was out Of sight before we could pull
a trigger, or even take aim. The PIC
we knew was dead, so we decided
that we would have a ham of it be-
before long. The leopard had
scarcely left its prey half an hour
before stealthy steps were heard ap-
preaching the dead pig, and soor
TWO hyenas were busily employed in
feasting on it. The noises we made
in the tree alarmed them, but they
were not to be baked of their feast
for seizing huge piece of pig, they
scampered of to a distance with it
After finishing this piece, they woult
sneak up to the carcass, lay hold
Of fresh piece, and rush off Will
that. The hyenas between then
nearly finished the pig; the remains
were satisfactorily accounted for by
some jackals, and what appeared il
the dim light to be ichneumons. The
latter fought and squabbled over tht
bones and scraps like so many hung
ry dogs, and by daylight we found
scarcely sign of the wild pig, all
that remained of it being some BLOOD
on the dry grass where it had fallen
1t is surprising the amount of ami
NAL life that moves about by night
in a wild country. No one would fol
a moment suspect that in his imme
diate neighborhood there were 8
multitude Of creatures which he neY
er saw, unless he watched for them
by night. We have seen creatures
that are very uncommon roaming
about by night in the most reckless
manner. A few years ago we were
staying at a friends house in this
country, and having seen some
strange signs on his lawn, we watch
ed one night when the moon gave &
fair light in order to see what night
wanderers visited US. Before long
we observed two little dark objects
moving on the lawn, and, on coming
quickly up to them, we surprised two
hedgehOgs, creatures we hadnot seer
by day anywhere near the lawn
Upon following up the trail, we
found they actually lived in some
cover on the borders of the lawn, and
within fifty yards of the house.
At the time we saw the wild pig
killed by the leopard. there was
scarcely half an hour during which
several creatures did not pass oul
post; but the greatest ex-
citement occurred just as the day
was breaking.
Several times during the night we
had heard the sharp crack Of a bro
ken branch in the distant forest, and
now and then a shrill, sharp cry
both of which told us that elephants
were not far of. To attempt to OBJ
tain a shot at them by night would
have been too dangerous, and unlike
ly to result in success, as the under
wood in the bush was so dense that
even on bright, sunny day, objects
we're scarcely distinguishable 10 the
gloom. There was a probability
however, of these giants of the for
est coming out into the open, and, il
so, we might obtain a shot at them
from our tree.
1t was not till just before sunrise
that the herd of elephants came neal
the tree in which we were concealed
and then they seemed to scent dan
ger, for, instead ofcoming boldly for
ward, they stopped, and, blowing
through their trunks, appeared to be
carefully scenting the air. Whether
they really y smelled danger is impOs-
sible to say, bat they would not ap
proach nearer to the edge of the
bush, and we could not obtain ;
view Of any Of them.
After passing q night in a tre'
without firing a shot, it was impOs
sinln To resist the tamntation differed