The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-08-11

the provender inside.
We lad these trai1s very early the
morning after the trap was completed
Wo were to take turns washing, day
~ day. Benton undeetoot 70 watch
the tfap the flrst day, and vent hoene.
We hpped 10 captup at ieast onsAog
ever3 Jay. E~N -Aa ~
Before eleven O'Clock that forenoon
Benton appeared at our house, very
hot and mneh out Of breath from run-
ming. He could hardly speak, and
wasted no words. e $3.50 ~
Pulled the string on fiqei" he gasped
.,.0et kni{e and mule end gun, and come
dufckl They he foamin' round awful
lyi Guess we shall have to shoot emi
Hurry hurryf"
In Ave minutes was ON the way.
urging my mule to the top Of his speed
Benton got his own mule and gun and
overlook me.
We approached the corral from the
opposite side OF the creek, and securing
the mules On thst side. waded across
and peeped into the trap. 81
Sure enough, there were five porisersi
Evidently they had calmed down q lit
tie, for they gfunted softly US they de-
voured The remains of the heap Of
acorns But dscenting us, or sighting
us through chinks "A the fence, they
began W dash axonnd springing up tls
sidea d, The 6n4EA 20 hercely that w
aeM paainiy, II would be. altogether un-
sate to enter the inc&osure before shoot-
mg thAm Thefs wes an old boar in
The gfpnp. They were yearlings and
TWO yeer-oadA apparently, weighing
from . hundred 20 two hundred pounds
eaah .s From, running In the swamp
they were all neasiy,a as black as bears
We loaded ouf gums with ball, and,
taking aim between the posts. shot the
piGse one by bnelN All five curne down,
squea1tng serfhcally. s'
, had never dressed hog before, but
we both knew that Il YVES necessary
to bleed them immediately. Laying
down our gums we climbed into the
pen, got out our knives and proceeded
to this least pleasant portion Of the
business
The squealing was frightful We had
got to the third victim only when we
became suddenly aware of coinmotion
in the woods outside.
"Bill!" cried Benton. straightening
up to listen, ''there's whole drove
a-coning, old boars aud all! They're
coming TO the rescue, just as they do
when q bear tackles hog in the
swamp
Above the outcry which the suffering
porkers inside the pen were raising we
could now plainly hear the barking and
roaring of the approaching drove. IT.
was terrible noise; the underbrush
cracked as If forest fire were running
through it.
"Whew! You don't suppose they can
break In here, do your exclaimed Ben
ten, turning pale
''That's more than KNOW" said l.
"But II they do break in, shall break
out pretty quicls!"
We had scarcely more than uttered
the words when the drove came foam
ing up the creek to the very gate of the
trap They stopped an instant On
old boar barking like bulldog. oand
then all scurried around the fence on
the creek side, through mud and water.
Here they suddenly stopped short
again, rs if 60 locate their distressed
brethren, then dashed around the north
end of the corral and up the high bank
little way above
Aguin finding themselves wrong, they
turned and came dashiig along the top
of the bank, On the land side of the
pen; and then they oil charged head
long down over the oanl, into the cor
raj.
Before the first hog had struck the
ground inside the pen | was well on
my way to the top of the corral fence,
and Benton had climbed small oak
tree that stood within the inclosure.
''Great jingo!" cried Benton from the
tree. isn't that old tuslser big one?
See the foam fly: Bill, there's more
thar. twenty Of them! VIII tho fence
stop emp
81 think it WILL" said "Are you
all safe?'
81 reckon l am," he answered Then
he looked down at the wild hogs foam
ing around the base of his small tree,
swapping their jaws; and my sense Of
humor made me laugh in spite of myself.
However, presently did better for
Benton than laugh at him slipped
down ON the outer side Of the pen, and
getting strong pole, pushed It oveI
the top Of the corral into the oak where
he was roosting, and by the aid Of this
pole he was able to get to the fence.
Now was our time. We loaded ou1
guns and opened fire on the drove In
side, disabling the old boar drst of all
For half an hour the unearthly din o!
shooting and squealing kept up. In
Guiding the flye which, Benton hat
shared at first, there were now twenty
four hogs in the trap. Several Of then
were old settlers, and quite fat ant
heavy.
We worked fast and hard during the
rest of the day and most of the night t.
secure the pork. 1t made a fine lot O
bacon, and although we never met will
any success afterwards, we went to tn,