Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1876-09-20

Pencrott and the reporter were constant
" at work setting traps on Prospec
Plateau and on the borders of the forest
In the sailors opinion any animal what
ever would be a prize, and rodents o
earnlvora, whichever these new tran
should entice, would be well received 4
Granite House. These traps were yer,
simple. They were pits dug in tn
ground and covered with branches an,
grass, which hid the openings. At tn
bottom they placed some bait, who's
odor would attract the animals. The,
used their discretion about the position
OF their traps, choosing places where nu
merous footprints indicated frequent pas
sage of quadrepeds. Every day the
went to look at them, and at three dii
terent times during the first few dav
they found IN them specimens of thos
foxes which had been already seen 0
the right bank of the Mercy
''Pshaw there are nothing but foxe
in this part of tho world - said Pencroff
as, for the third time, he drew one o
these animals out Of the pit. "Good-fo
nothing beasts"
stop said Spilctt; "thoy are goot
for something"
''FOr what =
"To serve as bait to attract others ,
The reporter was right, and from thi.
time the traps were baited with the dead
bodies of foxes. The sailor had made
snares out of the threads of curry-ione
and these snares were more profitable
than the traps 1t was a rare thing for
a day to pass without some rabbit from
the warren being captured 1t was al
ways q rabbit, but Ncb knew how ia
vary his sauces, and his companions did
not complain. However, once Or twice
in the second week in August, the traps
contained other and more useful animals
than the foxes. There were some OF
those wild boars which had already been
noticed at the north of the lake. Pen
croft had no need to ask if these animals
were edible, that was evident from their
resemblance to the hog of America and
Europe.
but these are not hogs, let mo tel
won y said Herbert.
over the trap and drawing out ono 0
these representatives of the swine famil
by the little appendage which served 70
tail, "do let me believe them to b
hogs"
"Why ?"
Because it plcascs me-"
"You are fond of hogs, then, Pen
croff?"
II am very fond ofthcm," =" replied tn
sailor, especially of their feet, and
any had eight instead of four l woul'
like them twice as much"
The animals were peccaries, belonging
to one of the four genera, which max
up that family. This particular specie
were the ''tajassans," known by thei
dark color and the absence Of those lonl
fanes which belong to the others of thei
race. Peccsrics generally live in herds
and it was likely that these animal
abounded in the woody parts Of the is
land. At all events they were edibl
from head to foot, and Pencrof aske'
nothing more.
About the 18th of August the weathe
moderated suddenly by change Of win
to the northwest The temperature ros
several degrees higher, and the vapor
accumulated in the air were soon resolv
ed into snow. The whole island wa
covered in a white mantle, and presente
a new aspect to its inhabitants. Itsnow
ed hard for several days and the groun
was covered two feet deep. The win
soon rose with great violence and fror
the top of Granite House they could hea
} the sea roaring against the reefs.
At certain angles the wind made et
dies in the air, and the snow, formln
itself into high whirling columns, locke
S like those twisting waterspouts Whit
vessels attack with cannon. The hurr
cane, coming steadily from the mort
wost, spent its force on the other side
the island, and the eastern lookout
: Granite House preserved it from dire
: attack
81 During this snow storm, as terrible
, those of the polar regions, neither Smi
nor his companions could venture OF
side. They were completely housed
g five days, from the 10Th to the 25th
August. They heard the tempest re
' through Jacamar Woods. which mi
It have suffered sadly Doubtless numb,
s OF trees were uprooted, but Pencroff co
torted himself with the reflection Il
n there would be fewer to cut down
J The wind will be woodcutter; let
!, alone" said he
How fervently now the inhabitants
i Granite House must have thanked Hea
r en- for having given to them this sol
n and impenetrable shelter Smith h
his share of their gratitude, but after
g it was nature which had followed o
e this enormous cave, and he had only di
covered it. Here all were in safety, 4
violence of the tempest could not rea,
e them. If they had built a house Of bri
i and wood on Prospect Plateau, it cou
not have resisted the fury of this hurl
I cane. As for the Chimneys, they hea
/ the billows strike them with such Vi
lcuce that thew knew they must be Il