The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-21

Great Fun in Hunting the Fierce VIII
Boar-He Is Now Only to Be Four
IN the Denser Cane Brskes-A Hero
of Pigs Near Wharton, Tex, Gives e
Great Days Bunting to Local MIN
rods.
Wharton (Tez.) Cor. Philadelphia Times.
The wild hog. once SO common in Southern
Texas. has well nigh disappeared and is Only
IN be found now in some of the denser
canebrakes near the heads Of the smaller
rivers. but be loses little of his flerce eE
and is as ready as ever to die rather than
WELD. and to die fighting his foes. He never
COMPROMISES, and generally falls in the
midst of slain dogs covered with as many
wounds as he himself bears. In ante
bellum days the favorite sport OF the plant
ers along the Brazos was hog sticking,
and packs of dogs were kept especially
trained for this work.
The visitor from the east was always
treated to hunt of this sort, and invita-
tiops were sent far and wide to friends to
ioin in the royal sport, which invitations
were accepted If all important business had
70 be laid aside bv the easy-going son of
Dixie, Negroes, skilled In the tracking OF
the game, were set the day before to locate
the hogs, who, moving In herds, numbering
100. more or less, were apt to leave broad
track of devastation behind them, while the
women of the plantation busted themselves
with Dreparations for grand
barbecue that invariably followed the hunt
ing day, and at which the slaughtered hogs
formed the chief dish, and one fit for the
gods it was, for, in the hands Of the dusky
plantation cooks, these animals lost that
somewhat strong. gamey flavor that, when
prepared by the uninitiated, renders the
wild hog unpalstable This is due 60 a layer
of fat that lies directly under the skin, and
is of a muddy color, and must be removed
before the true, white fat can be exposed.
But these days of sport are well nigh over,
ss the hogs have learned caution and rarely
leave the protection of the canebrakes, ex-
cept when driven farther down the rivers
BY scarcity of food in their usual haunts.
There was much rejoicing, therefore, among
the local Nimrods when a few days ago i6
was reported that herd of these animals
had been seen within dozen miles or 80 OF
this place.
party was hastily organized, and long
unused spears were brought out from their
retirement to the garrett. others manufaot-
ured, and a mighty saddling of horses, gath>
ering OF hounds and searching out of "old-
time" darkeyB, once invaluable on such gala
occasions, brought back the vanished days
''befo' de wah'." The party, numbering a
score and ten, set forth in the early morn
ing. riding cautiously through the woods
lining the river bank, for TO surprise the
hogs with an open way before them was to
lose the game, for these animals, appear
ances to the contrary, are agile and capable
Of speed almost incredible. They are also
endowed with remarkable Quickness and
power Of scent, and are liable to detect the
approach OF a foe for great distance IL the
wind is blowing from the danger to them.
1t was necessary, therefore, to move
slowly, and when within mile or two of
the spot where the herd had been seen,
scouts we're sent out to ascertain its present
whereabouts. Indications began TO betray
their recent passage along a somewhat
sparsely wooded stretch of country, and il
was thought that they must be ust ahead,
and the scouts reporting this. the hunters
separated into attachments Of four or five,
FOR the plan in hunting these animals is to
surround them If possible, and cut off their
retreat in every direction. When stampeded
and turned back from all escape they will
stand at bay, and it is here that the real
sport is thought to lie. for the true hunter
requires a spice Of danger in his recreation
TO make 1t one at all.
Advancing slowly and yet surely sur
rounding the game, the parties drew an uR-
broken gordon about the transporting
game, which was lying about on the thick,
TlCn grass Oh ED6 DT6ZOS DOJLOIn, OF IQlY
cropping 1t, for their early morning feed
was evidently over. There were nearly
fifty OF them, for the most part bears, and
fine fellows with splendid tusks that looked
sufficiently formidable to satisfy any orav-
ing for excitement in the boldest pig sticker
in tie party. .....
At signal from the leader Of the MIN
rods every spear was crouched and the
horses refined up tightly, aud then, as the
startled hogs sprang to their feet with a
shrill squeal OF alarm. the charge was made.
But the horses, unused to the work before
them, and recognizing the capa6ility of
those long, sharp Tusks to inalot unpleas-
ant wounds, at FIRST refused TO bear down
upon the plungiRg, furious auimaIs, that.
realizing that they had BEEN trapped,
showed grim determination to avenKe
their death, so that it was necessary to call
IN the dogs, which had been held back
though with difficulty.
The hounds came barking joyously into
the fray, and, with a courage almost sub
lime, proceeded to tackle the raging hogs,
but it took scarcely twenty seconds to con-
vince the canine heroes that they had found
an enemy very different from the rabbits
and deer they had set up a reputation for
vaor In killing, and the chronioler is very
much afraid that two and twenty tails
speedily went between four and forty legs,
end leaving half their number dead on the
A0Au VI DhtOIe, Cne resG retlre0, NCklnR tn6lr
wounds and bowling very theoretically.
But by this time the horses had overcome
their panic, and the men began to play their
part The rule of the sport is to ride down
the hog chosen, aud. sweeping past. TO i'm
pale him upon the spear, and, II possible.
TO drive the javelin through the heart itself,
out this is fancy stroke, and only to be
Zone by long practice, and the hunter is
generally glad enough to kill his hog in any
way he can.
The hogs in their turn made furious and
repeated charges at the legs of the horses,
often piercing them with their tusks and
not lnfrequently breaking the limb OF draw
ing the blood. The result Of this is often to
cause the horse to throw his rider, when the
battle must be fought out on foot 1t is
wen that the hunter discards his spear ard
iaus back on his other weapons, for he is no
longer a match for his foe Upon this occa-
aon one of the party was thrown by his
morse and landed right upon the back Of the
nog charging him.
Ihe animal, unprepared for this irregular
mode OF procedure, gave q startled shrek,
sno FELL with his no less astonished enemy,
snd on that individual rolling Off the hog
uFned on his still PROSTATE foe and was
STnly prevented from killing him by the
|'ervention Of one OF the other hunters.
Another OF the party was badly wounded
Sy thrust of tusk clear through the
teaVy leather Of the hunting boot he wore,