Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-09-02

~! GueSS we shall have to shoot emil
Hurry! hurryp'
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 five porkers!
Evidently they had Gained down a lit
tie, for they grunted softly as they de.
voured the remains of the heap of
acorns. But seeming us, or sighting
MS through chinks in the fence, they
began to dash around, springing up the
sides of the corral so fercely that we
saw plainly it would be altogether I'M
safe to enter the Enclosure 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 the swamp
they were all nearly as black as bears.
We loaded our guns with ball, and,
taking aim between the posts, shot the
pigs one by one. All five came down,
squealing terriically.
had never dressed hog before, but
we both knew that it was necessary
to bleed chem Immediately. Laying
down our guns, 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 commotion
in the woods outside.
"Bill!'' cried Benton, Strengthening
up to listen, ''there's whole drove
a-coming, old boars and all! They're
coming to the rescue, just as they do
when a bear tackles 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. 1t
was terrible noise; the underbrush
SiuShCb do IL IL lOlCoU hlo WCIC IuuuluB
through it.
"Whew! You don't suppose they can
break in here, do you?" exclaimed Ben.
ton, turning pale.
"That's more than know" said l.
"But if they do break in, l shall break
out pretty quick!"
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 ar
old boar barking like a bulldog, nanC
then all scurried around the fence OF
the creek side, through mud and water
Here they suddenly stopped shorr
again, as if to locate their distressed
brethren, then dashed around the nortf
end of the corral and up the high banl
a little way above.
Again finding themselves wrong, they
turned and came dashing along the tol
of the bank, on the land side of tn,
pen; and then they all charged head
long down over the bank into the cor
raj
Before the first hog had struck tn,
ground inside the pen I was well OF
my way to the top of the corral fence
: and Benton had climbed a small oal
! tree that stood within the Enclosure.
!, Great jingo!" cried Benton from tn
tree. Isn't that old tusker big one
See the foam fly! Bill, there's NOR
than twenty of them! Will the fenc
stop emp"
81 think it WILL" I said, "Are yo,
all safe?'
81 reckon l am" he answered. Thel
he looked down at the wild hogs foam
ing around the base of his small tree
swapping their jaws; and my sense o
: humor made me laugh in spite of myself
However, l presently did better TO
Benton than laugh at him. slippe
: down on the outer side of the pen, an
getting strong pole, pushed it owe
. the top of the corral into the oak wher
he was roosting, and by the aid of thi
pole he was able to get to the fence.
Now was our time. We loaded on
i guns and opened fire on the drove il
:, side, disabling the old boar first of al
- For half an hour the unearthly din c
= shooting and squealing kept up, II
" GLIDING the five which Benton ha
shared at first, there were now twenty
four hogs in the trap. Several of ther
were old settlers, and quite fat an
: heavy.
= We worked fast and hard during tn
=, rest of the day and most of the night t
u secure the pork. 1t made fine lot c
, bacon, and although we never met wit
'. any success afterwards, we went to tn
y centennial mainly on the product c
y, :, our hog trap.-A, j. Towle, in Youth
y CoD,ponion