Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-06-14

ing bears ever saw jumped out will
| a loud snort from a bush of laurels
his bristles stood erect on his back
and two immense tusks were dis
played, one on each side of his snOut
and extending upward at least two
inches. My dog was a few steps
ahead of me, as l had kept him back
When the boar saw the dog he low
cred his head and began to champ ane
froth at the mouth. The boar wa:
fully three feet high, and l never saw
an uglier looking beast in all my ex
perience in the woods. The dog wa:
half hound and half shepherd HI
sprang at the boar at once and wa:
received with lunge and thrown
at least ten feet away. will
his vitals pierced by the boar's long
tusks. The poor dog tried to renew
the attack, but he fell. and was soon
dead. The boar stood his ground as
if waiting for me to attack him.
aimed at his fore-shoulder and fired
With fearful snort the boar turned
and ran into the swamp. apparently
not injured. Darbee heard the gun
and soon came up. We started after
the boar, determined to bag oul
game, now that we had it. We came
upon him before we knew it. He was
lying behind clump of laurels. He
jumped up and sprang at Darbee. who
was ahead. and rushed between his
legs, throwing him down. The boar
would have ripped my companion as
he did the dog in another second, but
l ran up and kicked him as hard as ]
could. was afraid to shoot at him,
as there was danger of killing Darbee
with the ball. The kick had the de.
sired effect. for the boar turned quick
ly and rushed upon me. l sprang to
one side and he rushed past me. Be-
fore he could turn ard renew the at
tack. l had my gun to my shoulder.
The boar dropped, but he was on his
feet again, and, with a. savage snort.
dashed at me on three legs. the other
one having been broken by the ball.
The froth that came from his jaws was
now covered with blood. 1t was thrown
backward as the great brute ran, and
fell in great patches here and there on
his body. giving him, with his wild
eyes and open mouth, a hideous APP.
pearance.
"Darbee had drawn his hunting axe
as soon as he had regained his feet.
He was one of the most fearless men ]
ever knew. 1 have been in close
quarters with wounded panthers, bears
and deer many times before, and there
had been times when the chances were
against me in such fights, but never in
my experience had l encountered any
thing that seemed SO terrible as this
Infatuated wild hog. Ibelieve l should
have soon succumbed to the attack OF
the animal If Darbee had not been with
me. As the boar was rushing at me,
Darbee jumped between us and met
the crazed brute with blow between
the eyes from the hunting axe. That
blow would have tumbled the largest
and toughest bear that ever walked.
but it had not the slightest effect on
the boar. Before Darbee could get
out of the way the hog was upon him.
1t thrust one of its tusks through his
corduroy pantaloons. below the left
knee and with quick upward move
ment tore the left leg half way to OAR
bees waist, but fortunately, only graz
ing the skin. If the tusk had been in
serted a quarter of an inch deeper, it
would have laid the flesh open as it
did the cloth.
"When Darbee was knocked over by
the boar, his gun was thrown some
distance off in the laurels. + had not
had time to reload mine. and it was
only a single barreled one. l ran to
get Darbee's gun, but before l had
found it the boar had again turned it,
attention to me and was upon me in
the laurels. drew my hunting knife
and shouted to Darbee to load my gun
while l fought the boar hand to hand.
l plunged the knife into the brute as
near the jugular vein as had time to
calculate in. The blood spurted out
in a great stream, but in spite of all
my efforts. the boar succeeded in tear
ing me pretty badly with his tusks
By the time Darbee had loaded the
gun my clothing was in tatters and my
leg and one side badly torn. kept
plunging the knife into the boar. and
we We're both covered with blood
''Darbee was afraid to fire after he
had loaded up. so he came to my aid
with his axe. If l had been alone ]
should have been killed beyond a
doubt. for was beginning to feel the
effects of the boar's tusks in my flesh.
Darbee began to chop the boar with
his axe, and the boar turned on
him. Darbee ran back toward
the gun and the boar followed him.
Darbee got the gun and put ball into
the hogs other shoulder, breaking it.
He dropped to the ground and made
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