The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-20


morning after the trap was completed.
We were 70 take turns watching. dag
81 day. Benton undertook 20 watch
the trap the first day. and went hons
We hoped 70 capture q least one hog
every lay.
before eleven o'clock that forenoon
BENTON appeared At our house. very
hot and much out Of breath from nm
ming He could hardly speak, and
wasted no words
i Pulled the string on frel' be gasped
Get knife and mule and gun, and come
| quieki They are foamin' rodnd awful
iyi Guess we shall have 70 shot 'emi
Harry hurry
/ In Ave minutes I 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 porxersi
Evidently they had calmed down q liz
Tie, for they grunted softly as they de-
voured the remains Of the heap Of
aeorns But seeming us, or sighting
rs through chinks in the fence. they
began 70 dash around, springing up the
sides Of the corral 80 hercely that we
saw plainly Il would be altogether mn
safe toenter the inclosure before stt,ot-
ing them. There was an old boar In
the group They were yearlings and
two-year-oldA apparently, weighing
from 2 hundred 70 two hundred pounds
each. From running IA the swamp
they were MI nearly a. black as bears
We loaded our guns with ball, and,
taking aim between the posts, shot the
pigs one By one All Ave came down.
sqnealing terriHcaliy
had never dressed a hog before, but
wo both knew that II was necessary
70 bleed them immediately. Laying
down our guns, we climbed into the
pen. got ont our knives and proceeded
to this least pleasant portion Of the
business
Tic squcaling was frightfnl we had
got y the third victim only when We
became suddenly aware 81 cornmotion
IN the woods outside.
Billlr cried Benton, STRENGTHENING
mp 70 listen. ,'there's whole drove
a-corning, old bears and all. They're
coming TO the rescue, just as they do
when a bear tackles hog ia tie
swamp
Above the outcry which the suffering
porlEers 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 IL
'Whegi You don't suppose they can
break In here, do you?' exclaimed Rem
ton, turning pale.
That's more than Iknow," said /.
But II they do break In, shall break
ont pretty qnick.H
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, 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, as II to. l5cate their distressed /
brethren, then dashed around the north
end 81 the corral and up the high bank
q little way above.
Again finding themselves wrong. they /
turned and came dashimg along the top /
Of the bank, on the land side 81 the
pen; and then they all charged head /
long down over the bank into the cor
raj
Before the first hog had struck the
ground inside the pen was well on 4
my way TO the top Of the corral fence, |
and Benton had climbed small oak |
tree that stood within the Enclosure.
Great jingoi' cried Benton from the /
tree. .Isntthat old tuskcr big one2 /
See the foam flyl Bill, there's more /
than twenty Of themi win the fence /
stop emp
y think il will." / said. care you
all safe2',
II reckon 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 over
q
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 our
guns and opened fire on the drove in
side, disabling the old boar first Of all |
For half an hour the unearthly din Of |
shooting and squealing kept up. In
Guiding the FIVE which Benton had
SHARED ut first, there We're nov twenty
four hogs ID the trap Several At them
were old settlers, and quite fat and
heavy.
We worked fast and hard during the
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 to the |
centennial mainly on The product Of
our hog trap. A. J. Towle, In Youths
Companion
New Use for KanEaroos.