San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-11-27
CHI LUNG
A BIT OF HUMAN NATURE.
BY DAVID CHRISTIE MURRAY.

EilvIa? Tnars toIeraDle piece OF nsOIence,
young man, if you will but consider the fact
that you have only spent an hour in the
lady's society"
1t began 10 be bitter cold, and more than
little dreary, when he first heard the voices
of the traqueurS, who gave forth 4 loud oc.
casional "P-l-r-r-rw This reused him for a
minute or so. but nothing coming of it, he
grew liStlesS again. when all of a sudden
the perfunctory "P-r-r-r-rr swclled into
prodigious bowling within the forest.
"Hi! hi! hill How! how howl Sanglieri
Sangller! Hilhilhir'
Mr.. Arthur Lawrence rose silently from
his b0wlder in sudden beautiful calm OF
spirit which had a certain bright eXultatiOn
In 1t, for at last he heard sound about
which 1t was impossible to be mistaken, the
magnificent rush of a boar through the
tangled underground, the crash with which
the bOughs parted, and the pounding on the
cracking leaves Not even a novice could
dream that this was the coming of deer,
and the youngster knew well enough what
to expect before he saw the great black mass
come headlong on, bursting into the open be-
tween two saplings, each as thick as mans
yielded to the impetuOus, bulk like withes,
and second later the forest monarch was
amazed by the noise of a smoOth-bOre,
flash Of fame, and the deadly pellets that
stung his shoulder. In his ordinary mood
the wild pig is contented to express his con-
tempt for human kind by sulky shynesS,
but there is no drawer gentleman alive, and
when he is old enough to fight he never re-
fuses challenge. He did not pause a
second In his forward rush, but went for his
assailant, straight, and with as little hesita-
tion as If he had set out upon his race with
no other intention.
Doesn't give time TO climb a tree"
thought Lawrence, with the beautiful calm
Just touched with brightness still upon him.
"Shan't miss this time" Fast as his quarry
came he seemed to have ample space in
which to think thus, and when the wicked
white tusks and vengeful piggish eyes were
within six yards of him he pulled trigger,
and the wild boar Of his own momentum
turned half summersault. Then every
thing went oddly quiet, and the beautiful
calm altogether deserted Mr.. Lawrence's
mind. Suppose" he said to himself, half
aloud, and with tightness in his breathing
ten the powder in that particular cartridgep
Then he laughed, and wiped his brow, and
stood astonished to find how hot he was.
Wasn't q bit nervous a minute ago." he
thought. Horribly nervous now. Suppose
should be cool again If another came? 1
wonder"
He stood looking at the dead enemy with
respect, when "Crackl crackp' went two
shots almost both together, and second or
two later a voice on the right began to
scream "Au secours! Au secOursp Law
renee, with new calm, opened the breech of
his gun without moving foot, drew out the
destroyed cartridges, supplied their place,
closed the breech, all swiftly and with meth
cd, and then raced like hound up hill in
the direction Of the cries. Two-thirds of the
way up he heard two shots, and he heard
also the pellets which tore the leaves over
his head.
Missed" he said, and went racing up the
hill along the tracks which he and the guide
had left behind them. The cries not only
continued, but grew more urgent and he
ran as he had never run before. He had not
more than forty yards to go in all, but those
forty yards lay up breakneck hill encum-
bered with great powders, over which
crawled entangling briars, which were for
the most part hidden treacherously in the
snow. When he came upon the scene he
became aware Of a sudden inappropriate de-
sire to laugh. A fat gentleman in the very
height Of Belgian sporting fashion, coat of
Lincoln green, unsmirched by weather,
brand new game-bag with beautiful fringe
and tassels, bronze cords, and spotless new
boots Of yellow leather reaching to mid
thigh-a fat gentleman thus accountered
was hanging on to the branch of an oak tree
with his toes dangling two feet from the
ground, and well-grown boar was tusking
at the soles of his boots with savage energy,
whilst the fat gentleman, who dared not
drop, ceased not to roar at the top Of his
voice, "Au secoursl Au secoursp 1t was
really too bad to laugh at such moment,
and yet for his life Lawrence could not help
It The contrast between the fears he had
had time to form and this reality had some
thing In it almost Historically droll, and his
gun trembled when he brought Il to his
shoulder, but only for second. The boar
leapt at the discharge of the first barrel, and
at the discharge Of the second turned round
and round, fell, kicked little, and then law
quiet. The fat gentleman released his hold.
fell upon the slain. and lay prone. Law.