Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-08-04

Get knife and mule ana guns ana come
quickl They are foamin' round awful
lyl Guess we shall have 70 shoot emf
Hurry hurry
In five 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 that side, waded across
and peeped into the trap.
Sure enough, there were Eve porltersl
Evidently they had Gained down a lit
tie, for they grunted softly as they do.
voured the remains OF the heap Of
acorns. But soenting us, or sighting
us through ehinks In the fence, they
began to dash around, springing up tho
sides of tho corral 40 fcrcely that we
saw plainly II would be altogether UNI
safe TO enter the inclosuro before shoot
ing them. There was an old boar In
the group. They were yearlings and
two-year-olds, apparently, weighing
from hundred TO two hundred pounds
each From running in tho swamp
they were all nearly as black as bears.
We loaded our guns with ball, and,
taking aim between the posts, shot tho
pigs one by one. All Ave came down,
squealing terrifcally.
had never dressed n hog before, but
we both knew that II was necessary
to bleed them Immediately. Laying
down our guns, we climbed into the
pen, got out our knives and proceeded
TO this least pleasant portion OF tho
business.
The squealing was frightful We had
got TO the third victim only when We
became suddenly aware Of commotion
in the woods outside.
"Billl' cried Benton, strengthening
up TO listen, there's whole drove
a-coming, old bears aud ALL They're
coming to the rescue, Just as they do
when bear tackles a hog in the
swamp"
Above the cutlery which the suffering
porkers inside the pen were raising we
could now plainly hear the barking and
roaring Of the approaching drove. II
was terrible noise; the underbrush
cracked as II forest fire were running
through II.
"Whewl You don't suppose they can
break In here, do your exclaimed ben.
ton, turning pale.
That's more than know" said I.
But II they do break In, I shall break
out pretty quicll"
We had scarcely more than uttered
tho words when the drove came foam
ing up the creek TO the very gate OF the
rap. They stopped an instant, an
old boar barking like a bulldog, sand
then all scurried around the fence on
the creek side, through mud and water.
Here they suddenly stopped short
again, us " to locate their distressed
brethren, then dashed around the north
end OF the corral and up the high bank
little way above,
Again finding themselves wrong, they
turned and came dashing along the top
of the bank, on the land side Of the
pen; and then they all charged head
long down over the bank into tho cor
raj.
Before the first hog had struck the
ground inside the pen I was we'll on
my way to the top OF the corral fence,
and Benton had climbed small oak
tree that stood within the inclosure.
"Great lingo" cried benton from the
tree. "lsn't that old tuslter n big one ?
See the foam fyl Iiill, there's more
than twenty Of them! win the fence
stop emp"
( 81 think II will" said. care you
all safc?"
~ reckon ! am" he answered. Then
he looked down at the wild hogs foam
ing around the bnse of his s,nulI treo
swapping their jaws; and my sense Of
humor made me laugh In spite OF myself
However, | presently did better for
Benton than laugh ut him. slipped
down on the outer side Of the pen, and
! getting strong pole, pushed II over
the top OF the corral into the oak where
he was roosting, and by the aid Of this
| pole he was able TO get 10 the fence
Now was our time. We loaded our
guns and opened fire ON the drove in
side, disabling the old boar first Of all.
For half nm hour the unearthly din Of
shooting and squealing kept up. In
Guiding the FIVE which Benton had
shared at first, there were now twenty.
four hogs In the trap. Several Of them
were old settlers, and quite fat and
heavy.
We worked fast and hard during tho
rest Of the day and most Of the night TO
secure the pork. II made a fine lot OF
bacon, and although we never met with
any success afterwards, we went 10 the
centennial mainly on the product OF
our hog trap.-A. ]. Towle, in Youths
Companion.
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