The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-19

TO precipitate it by charging on the enemy
IN the water. They tore the bog and
beat down the grass in their rage, the
snakes responding with angry kissing
and violent flashing of the water.
LoveJoy noticed, however, that the hogs
| We're gradually drawing near to the
| waters edge, while, as if to draw them
on, several of the larger snakes crawied
out to the edge of the bank and coiling
ana raising high their heads Kissed their
defiance of their foes.
one big fellow, in a spirit of seeming
DraVado, crawled five or six feet up from
the edge and Kissed out an angry chal-
ienge. Whether he irritated the hogs
peyond endurance or they thought that
ne mad lncautiously oyerdone it it is diff
cult to say, but in another moment a
pig, lean hunter sprang toward him.
Inc snake evidently saw the movement
ana made desperate effort to regain the
water, but the distance was a little too
great, for just as its head was about to
enter the water the hogs reached it and
the sharp hoofs nearly cut the serpent's
body in two. The impetus of the
hog, however, was so great that it was
carried a foot or two into the water,
and before it could turn about and re-
gain the shore dozen large snakes, at
least, had coiled viciously about it.
Some had wrapped themselves about the
legs and others about the throat, and
as the muscular folds drew taut the
hog was held as in a wise. At the
same time the snakes drove their saw
age but poisonless fangs deep into its
body, causing it to struggle desperately
to free itself and bringing from it fren-
zied cries of distress.
However loath the other hogs may
have been at first to enter the water.
there was no hesitation now in the face
of their comrades peril, and with bris-
ties erect and angry flashing eyes, they
charged in q body toward the water,
amid noisy chorus of shrill, warlike
"woofs."
As they struck the water the snakes
met them unhesitatingly, and then be-
gan battle such as it has been the
privilege of very few people, probably
ever to witness. Lovejoy AYERS that the
snakes were in such overwhelming num-
bers that the bodies of some of the hogs
were, at times, completely hidden from
view by the writing coils which encom.
passed them. But the hogs fought des-
perately, seizing the serpents' bodies be-
tween their teeth and rending them
with savage ferocity, and such was the
destruction which they wrought that
the water about them was soon thickly
covered with the dead and suuirming
bodies of the dying.
The plan of the snakes was evidently
to drown their adversaries, and this
they sought to do by first coiling So
tightly about their legs as to render il
impossible to move them, and then to SO
goad the hogs by savage biting as to
cause them to struggle, and, in all proba-
Tn Of
pretty certain to drown, as it was almost
impossible for them to regain their feet.
In fact, it was not long before two of
the hogs had met with this fate, one of
them being the hog which had first en-
tered the water, while two others were
parity down and struggling desperately
for their lives. The rest stood together,
though, like solid phalanx, fighting Zero.
ciously, despite the fact that countless
serpents swarmed over them and blood
from many wounds trickled down their
bodies and legs.
1t was evident, however, that they
were beginning to realize that their enc
mics had the advantage of numbers and |
position, for they were clearly trying |
to regain the shore, when Lovejoy was |
suddenly startled by a number of sharp |
wool, woofs" coming from behind him. |
and he turned and saw ten or twelve |
other hogs, evidently hunters" bear
ing down with all possible speed toward
the scene of the fray.
Whether they had smelt the battle
from afar, or had CHANGED to oyerhear
the sounds of the conflict, is not known,
put, In any event, they proceeded to
Jump. unhesitatingly, right into the mid
die of it,. and their numbers turned the
tide, of battle hopelessly against the
snakes, which soon turned about and
swan out into the stream and disap-
peared.
The hogs, of course, devoured many
OF the snakes, but Lovejoy AYERS there
were hundreds of dead and MANNED ones
still remaining in the water after the
hogs had gorged themselves and disap-
peafed.