The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1893-10-21
elusHJ Ar PEccARIEs.
An Arizona Hunters EXCITING Advent.
pre With Wild Pigs.

pre With Wild Pigs.
Tom Elder 10 the name of young nat.
pra,;st who has been spending several
weeks in Arizona hunting specimens Of
animal and bird life. He obtained, for
the asking, the use Of one of the many
abandoned cattlemen's cabins on the fork
of the San Pedro River in the Ctntalina
mountains, says the San Francisco Call.
He led most lonely life, eften for days
at q time not seeing q human being.
There were several empty houses near by,
a indeed there were all over Arizona
since the rains failed, but the nearest one
where anybody lived was several miles
away. Still he was so busy with bis work
that he did not ind the solitude very OPP
pressive.
The house which he occupied was on
hillside on the western bank of the river.
about 100 feet back from the edge and 80
feet above the rocky bottom. 1t was in
avery exposed place on the bare sandhills
that rolled to the west. The river bottom
was thickly wooded, and about 400 feet
WIDE. and on the streams side bare
mountain side rose several hundred feet
The view from the house did not ex
tend very far in any direction and was
not interesting. But it was an ideal
place for a naturalist, as trees in the river
bottom were filed With birds OF the most
gorgeous plumage.
He was complaining about the scarcity
of big game to an old miner who stopped
TO talk to HIM about week ago and asked
the reason.
"There amt no big game around here, :"
said the miner. "Got to 60 back in the
hills about two miles if you want any"
"But I saw q panther few days ago,
and have seen bear tracks in the sand
down by the spring." said Tom.
"Oh, we'll, that might be. These ami
mails get chasing something in the night
and go further than they intend. They
then stop near water during the day un-
til it is time to 60 back. But you can't
count on them," explained the miner.
sand will have to 60 clear out to those
big hills if l want any big animals9"
asked Tom, feeling discouraged.
"Yes, I guess you will unless you are
lucky enough to get some before you get
there. But if you want wild hogs you
can get them right on the top Of the
mountain over the river there"
Tom was interested very quickly and
asked great many questions about where
the hogs could he found, but he forgot to
ask about the method Of hunting them.
The man went into details about the
spot where they were plentiful, and said 1t
was not more than quarter of mile In
q straight line, but about three. quarters
if he went to a certain canyon and got up
that way.
That night Tom scarcely slept, so anx-
ious was be to be up and chasing the wild
pig. By sunrise he was climbing the
mountain across the river from his house,
his dog following jubllantly.
When hunters go after wild pigs in the
country where they are plentiful they al.
ways go on horseback, as the animals are
very dangerous when in numbers. In
fact they are dangerous at any time if
man happens to miss his aim when one
Of them is charging at him.
But Tom did not know this and so was
climbing over the mountain into great
danger.
The top of 8 mountain was mass of
sand and cacti, with patches of mesquite
growing from the assures Of volcanic
rocks. Not cheerful place even in the
early morning, and about midday would
be like an oven.
Tom did not have to hunt long to find
the wild pigs. In fact he did not have to
hunt at all, because the hard-skinned lit
tie creatures hunted him. As soon as Tom
put his head over the mountain the wild
pigs knew there was chance for meal
and while he was looking carefully be.
hind every rock and cactus, the pigs had
got the scent and were coming after him.
If he could have seen them with their
shouts in the air running this way and
that, but all the time drawing nearer. he
would have made up his mind that he
didn't want any wild pig.
But he did not sec them, so he kept on
hunting for them until he was startled by
d chorus of grunts. 1t was an awful
sound, but before Tom had chance to
analyze it he saw one of the grunters run
out from behind a rock and look around |
In all directions. It was the only one
visible, but Tom knew by the sound that
there were many more near By.
As it was he raised bis rifle and fred
and the pig curled up into ball and lay |
still. The dog ran up to 1t, but made up
his mind to come back when he met the
comrades of the dead peccary coming to-
ward him.
They seemed like an army. All were
IN line and dressed up' in front as beau
tifully as any company Of soldiers.