The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-05-22

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 that could find q place to rip
and tear On the great body of the bear
was slashing furiously. The bear hurled
the swarm of peccaries right and left with
sweep of his enormous paws, dlsem-
bowelling two, and throwing them clear
| to the bottom of the hill. Another swoop
of his paws sent others of the drove fiy-
ing in all directions, and the bear made
another dash for the tree. Again he was
pulled back, and again he scattered the
peccaries and tried to escape up the tree.
'sBut 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
laceratcd flesh, from which the blood
spurted in jets, or like water dripping
from the caves during a heavy storm.
The peccarics threw themselves upon him
wherever there was a place to lntilct a
wound, until the bear was completely
hidden by the furious little beasts. l
saw the plunging, tearing mass rise up
four feet from the ground twice after the
bear was pulled down the last time, Show
ing that bruin was struggling to cast oft
the savage horde. Then the bears
struggles were over. For a minute or
two the drove tore, and crunched, and
tossed about on the spot where the bear
had last been thrown, and could hear
the swapping of bones and the sickening
sound of the flesh as it was ripped and
chopped to pieces by the teeth and tusks
of the peccaries. Then the drove went
back into the hollow, grunting in con-
tented way, and paying no attention to
the five of their number that had died in
the combat. But there was not i vcstigc
left of the immense bear that less than
ten minutes before had loomed up before
me in such enormous proportions.
"When I went back to my companions
I related to them the capture and fright
full fate of the bear, and told them how
nearly the bear had succeeded in escaping
from the peccaries up the tree.
"sYou think he'd have escaped, do
you' said an old plainsman. We'll, let
me tell you that if the bear had climbed
clear to the top of the tree he wouldn't
have escaped. He would only have
gained respite. Peccaries never let up
on an enemy they have gone out to lay
low, as long as that enemy is in sight. If
that bear had got up the tree the peccaries
would would simply have sat down at the
foot of the tree and waited. No matter
how long they might have had to stay
there-a week, q month, three months, a
year-there they would have stayed until
that bear either came down or fell down.!
and they had scattered him to the winds
Pcccarics never give up. When they have
set their death watch on bear, or a
hunter, or a mountain lion, or whatever
it may be, a strong guard is always left
to see that the victim does not escape.
While some are on guard Others are Off
feeding, and their reliefs are regular and
conAtant. If that bear had got into the
tree there would have been no minute of
the day or night that he could not have
looked down upon group of peccaries
sitting around the tree, each with his eyes
fixed immovably upon him. If the bear
could possibly have fastened himself in
the tree he might starve to death, with
the satisfaction of knowing that his car
cass would not fall to the ground to be
torn into nothing by the tireless wretches
below; but as the bear could have had no
way to secure himself fixed tenant in
the tree it would have been only ques-
ton of time when, grown weak from
hunger, he must have lost his grip on
the branches and rewarded the patience
of the peccaries 10y tumbling among
them to be supinely annihilated, instead
of getting some little satisfaction, as he
did, out of the affair by making few of
his enemies bite the dust" -