The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-07-27


where when he comes upon peccaries.
Many mysterious disappearance of
tenderfoot hunters and tourists in
Southern California, New Mexico and
Southern Texas can be explained in no
more plausible way than by the assump-
ton that they had tried their guns on
peccaries.
"But while the peccary is not, as a
rule, aggressive or inclined to fight
either dumb brute or man, it invaria-
bly, makes an exception to the rule in
all cases where the mountain lion or
the bear family is concerned. Pee
carries and lions or peccaries and bears
can't live in the same woods, and it is
always the peccaries that remain.
1T was one early fall day near the
northern boundary line of Lower Cali
fornia. was taking a stroll about in
the chapperal with no particular pur-
pose in view, when heard a peculiar
snort in hollow that sank rather alb
ruptly off to my right. Imade my way
to the edge of the depression, which
was but two or three yards away, and
parting the bushes. looked down. The
hollow was in large opening in an
amphitheater of timber. Within three
rods of me. and putting forth every
nerve and muscle, the biggest brown
bear l ever saw was tearing up the
gradual slope toward tree that stood
near the top of the declivity, the near
est and most accessible tree to him.
Behind him. and not two jumps away,
was a plunging mass of little dumpy
animals, seeming to be all fore shout
der, head and snout. Ihad never seen
a peccary, but didn't need to be told
that these animals tearing along in the
wake Of the bear were representatives
of that vindictive and unforgiving race.
Their bristles stood erect, and they
were so many living pictures of unre-
strained fury. Ihad been made familiar
with the bitter feud that existed be-
tween the peccary family and the bruin
family, and as soon as / saw this race
between the bear and the wild pigs, l
felt that he had no more chance of get
ting up the trunk of that tree than he
had of taking wing and soaring out of
the hollow.
l hated bears myself. but 1 couldn't
help but feel sorry for that doomed
representative of his race. He reached
the tree, grasped the trunk, and had
put at least four feet between his great
rump and the ground before the drove
of peccaries swept up to the tree like a
wave. | began to think that my fears
for the bear were unfounded. and that
at least one member OF the bruin fam
lily could go on record at last as having
got away from drove of pursuing
peccaries. But l found that l didn't
know peccaries yet. That mad rush of
hump-backed demons struck the tree,
and seemed to rise upward like surf
that strikes the base OF a rock and
throws its broken column OF foam spite
fully toward the summit of the obsta-
Gle. ! never could tell just how it was
done, but like a fash at least half a
dozen of those merciless beasts were
hanging to the TANKS, the sides. and
the back of the bear, their tusks sunk
deep in his thick hide. while they
tugged and jerked and threw their
weight against his clutch upon the
tree. The bears progress was not only
stopped, but his powerful grasp upon
the bark was broken, and he fell back
to the ground. Instantly every pair of
tusks ttSt could find place to rip and
tear on the great body of the bear was
cutting and slashing furiously. The
bear hurled the swarm of peccaries
right and left with a sweep of his enor-
nous paws, disemboweling two, and
throwing them clear to the bottom of
the hill. Another swoop of his paws
sent others of the drove flying in all
directions, and the bear made another
dash for the tree. Again he was pulled
back, and again he scattered the pee
carries and tried to escape up the
tree.
But all in vain. The third time he
was snatched to the ground, his coat
was red with blood from head to tail.
and his thick hide was torn asunder in
a dozen places, showing great red
patches of lacerated flesh, from which
the blood spurted in jets. or like water
dripping from the caves during heavy
storm. The peccaries threw them
selves upon him wherever there was
place to inf1ict wound, until the bear
was completely hidden by the furious
little beasts saw the plunging, tear
ing mass rise up four feet from the
ground twice after the bear was pulled
down the last time, showing that bruin
was struggling to cast off the savage
horde. Then the bears struggles were
over For a minnie mr. two the drove