The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-07-19

with his long snout. and TO tear and bite
off the roots with his long tusks. 1t was
plainly evident that something would have
to be done pretty quick or our mess would
be a short one. Poor Jack was hanging on
and yelling with all his might, and every
yell appeared TO add to the rage OF the old
boar
Calling TO Jack TO stop yelling and to
hang on to the tree l prepared to let the
brute have a shot. The distance was
about $50 yards. and as it took close shot
to effect anything against the tough hide
of old boar L made preparations ny
standing upon a big limb of the live oak
and resting my gun on another about on
level with my shoulder. Ny first shot
struck the boar behind the shoulders. but
as he had stood quaTtering toward re the
only result was to tear Oft big piece or
his hide along his side. inficting q painful
but not a dangerous wound. When the
boar felt the sting of the bullet he made
for the tree in.. He must either have
caught a glimpse of me or seen the smoke
of the shot Calling TO the Indian TO slip
down out of the little tree and TO make
for big one, turned my attention to the
boar
when he came -wp saw that he was a
tremendous old fellow. with tusks at least
six inches in length. His eyes glistened
with rage and his hristles stood up like
wires as he charged the tree and began TO
tear the bark In great chips from its sides
for several feet above the ground. After
tearing away for several minutes the fierce
brute stopped and began to root up the
ground and tear and bite at the roots or
self that they were TOP large and too
numerous to dispose in that way. and he
again went at the body of the tree. There
was no danger of his succeeding in his
undertaking. but after watching him for a
short time ] determined to finish the affair.
1t took half dozen shots at close range
TO kill the brute. and | am satisfied that
there would not have been one chance in
ten of escaping that way had been on the
ground.
A TIMELY RESCUE.
ssTha ubip-rilxa CRACKS of gums off TO the
left plainly told me that Ben and John, my
half-breed Indian companions. were also
having their share of the sport. / got
down and went to the tree where Jack was
roosting and told him to come down as
the old boar was dead. We quitely APP
preached the quarter from which the sound
of the shooting came. and about 400 yards
distant we suddenly came to little open
ing about 100 yards i'm circumference. on
the opposite side of which we saw a low
Incorporating live oak from which puffs
of smoke were slowly drifting upward. Be-
meath and around the tree were about a
dozen wild hogs, snorting and granting
with rage, and creating pandemonium of
sounds as they bit and tore at the tree
and tried to reach the men by jumping up
ward Some were ripping up the ground
around the tree; others were tearing at
the roots and others viciously tearing
away chips of bark. Three of the lot were
tremendous boars. while the others were
sows and half-grown pigs. Selecting a tree
within easy shooting distance Jack and !
climbed into it's branches and opened fire.
In few minutes not a living hog could
be SEEN and. as none OF them had ever
undertaken to run, We knew that between
US we had wiped out the lot. When We
went to the tree Ben and John had de-
scended and were starding in the center
of a ring of thirteen wild hogs. John was
unarmed. and he explained the fact by say
ing that when he fired his first shot he
was some distance away from the tree and
had been pursued closely that he was
forced to drop his gun in order to make
the tree in which Ben had climbed as soon
as he saw the big drove coming.
I'VE killed seventeen wild hogs. five OF
which were bears of the largest size. 1t
was. said Ben the biggest slaughter of
wild hogs he had taken part In for several
years We knocked the tusks out of the
Jaws of the biggest boars with hatchet
which Ben carried in his belt. and when
we measured them we found that one pair
was nearly eight inches in length. We cut
up two of the smallest hogs, and carried
the hest of the meat back to Ben's flatboat.
but we found he had told us. that the
flesh of even the youngest wild boar had a
rank and musty odor. which rendered 1T
UNBEATABLE We remained down the river
and among the mountains there for a full
week and had some splendid shooting. but
no such success as attended our big boar
hunt"