Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-09-14

| thrilling adventure with hogs, which
came near resulting fatally for the
! former If left to themselves any
| length Of time, even domSticated swine
are apt to return to state of nature
and as is the case with all cattle which
do this, become, if possible, fiercer and
more aggressive than before Some
years ago few head Of hogs broke out
from the corral where they were con-
fined on Major Whiteside'S place, and
scattered through the pine woods adj
jacent. They refused to return to the
enclosurr, but found pasturage in
abundance along the Brazos river AS
they were only Of the variety know as
razor back" and could at any time
be secured when it was necessary to
kill them, lie owner allowed them to
run at large. But some days ago, rid
ing through the woods Of 1.-The bottom
he saw fine boar run across the road.
and, having his gun with him, raised
il I'D fired.
He succeeded IN WOunding the animal
in the shoulder and it fell, when he
the boar made for him, giving his horse
a fearful thrust in the leg and nearly
unseatiEg him. He killed the creature
before it could again attack his de-
fenselesS horse with its well-leveloped
| tuSks, but, recognizing that this herd
of now thoroughly wild swine was
menace to the neighborhoOd. he resoiv-
ed to kill it cut if it was not possible
to drive it into captivity again. This
determination was strengthened by an
incident that occurred about the same
time as his own adventure. A negro
boy Of about ID and his sister, a girl
of 10, were gathering dead branches
and pine cones i'll the woods for the
purposes OF fuel, when they were all
at once surrounded by a drove of hogs
The boy, raising the stick he held,
struck several Of the hogs on the back
with it. They turned on him instantly,
and for a moment he and the girl stay
ed to fight them, but, realizing the
temper of the beasts, they finally fled,
and just succeeded in reaching q seal
able tree with the yelping. swapping
crowd closed upon them. The girls
bare legs were terribly lacerated, and
the boys neither garments were torn
completely off him. For Il whole night
the children were kept ID the tree by
the hogs, which gathered about the foot
daring them with angry grunts to come
down. About daylight the drove went
away, and at last the frightened little
darkeys yentured to leave their perches,
and to carry the news of their advent
ure to the major.
The next morning this gentleman set
off to invite his neighbors to join him
in the hunt, meaning to make the occa-
sion one of sport and pleasure. But on
going through the woods he ran into
a number of the animals feeding along
the path. The hogs showed no inten-
ton Of giving him the road, but only
looked up from their grazing with a low
grunt or two. Major Whiteside shook
his whip at them, hoping to scare them
out of the way, and his horse, with all
that animals hatred Of the hog, kicked
out at them. There was a sudden yelp-
on the part of the old males, briSt-
ling of the short, ugly hair and the
whole herd with fierce grunts charged
the rider and his horse. There was
an answering cry from every direction
of the woods and q score more of the
beasts came running to the assistance
of their brethren.
Major Whiteside, seeing the number
and ferocity of the hogs, and not desir-
ing combat just then, tried to turn his
horse and make his escape, but, sur
rounded as the animal was by the
/ leaping, surging mass of tusks and
swapping jaws, it was unable to break
through the Gordon. Fortunately for
the planter he had brought his gun
with him and carried in a belt about
| is waist a revolver. Drawing this he
| fired shot after shot into the crowd
about his stirrups, and for a moment it
hesitated. He took advantage of this
brief respite to spur his horse out of
the throng, and would have outdistanc-
ed it had not a gigantic boar come run
ming out of a thicket close on his right,
and, charging the morse with great fury,
run it through the fOreleg, breaking the
bone and bringing the poor creature
to the earth. Selling his gun, and with
out waiting to aim, the major poured
its contents right and left, wounding
and killing at least a dozen of the hogs.
Now made thoroughly desperate, the
creatures showed no intention Of let
ting their victims escape them, for, as
is we'll known to stOckmen, the hog,
though ordinarily so stupid and slug
gish, when once reused is the most
stubborn and gamest animal alive.
Though their number was sensibly de-
creased by the majors fire, the others
attacked the fallen horse with renewed
ferocity and soon dispatched him. The
riders stout hunting boots Of leather
had until now protected his limbs from
the teeth of his foes, but now he was
for the moment at their mercy, and the
boots were torn into strips, and Sc
fierce was the onset of the hogs that
he would have been thrown down had
not he gotten near a tree and, putting
, his back against it, met them as they
came with a rapid fire, which soon piled
them up about him three deep. But
fairly tumbling over the dead bodies OF
their companions they came on, and
| with a desperate clinging to life, Major
Whiteside, now that his ammunition
was exhausted, continued to fight then
with his gun dubbed, knocking them
on the head as they came.