The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-01
THE RUNAWAY PIG AT Ell CANEY.
An Episode Not Down in the Official
Reports of the Battle.
Youth S Companion.

Youths Companion.
On July l. $685. when the battle at Caaoy
the Spanish soldiers was visible in one of
the trenches which defended the town
These trenches were all on the outskirts Ct
the town, and frequently were Immediately
in front of buildings The place was IN
habited at the time of the attack and bLl-
let's and shells went flying through the
himSy houses. There were several horses in
the town, some of which were seen rushing
about the streets during the bombardment
There were a few cattle, including superb
bull Kept for the performances in the bull
ring at Santiago, near by. This fine ami
mai was uninjured during the fight, but he
was looted by the Cubans after the town
was taken and ANONYMOUSLY led by the nose
to the main Cuban camp, to be slaughtered
for food for the insurgent soldiers
There were also animals of another sort,
the incident to which allusion has been
made proved. Toward the middle of the
day the watching American soldiers on the
nearest line saw Il half-groWn pig come
running out of a low matched building in
side the Spanish trenches, and, rounding a
corner of the ditch, take to flight outside
the trenches, i'll the direction of the Amer
Evidently he had been lodged under the
thatch-rOofed house just behind the trench,
in the free-and-easy domestic manner in
which Cuban pigs are generally taken care
of. a bullet or a shell had invaded his re-
treat, shattered his Enclosure, set him free
and scared him almost TO death at the same
time.
The Spanish soldiers ceased their firing as
the pig escaped and there was connection
among them. Presently this commotion re-
solved itself into a rush of several soldiers
out of the trench and in the direction of
the pig. soon there were fifteen of them
out in the open, in the full sweep of the
American fire.
Some of them ran to head off the pig and
others pushed up behind to catch him. The
pig wheeled and lodged and the soldiers
wheeled and lodged after him. Their voices
rose in q chorus of Spanish shouts. Up and
down went the pig; when a soldiers hands
were on him he would make q twist and
Wriggle himself away.
Once he made q long run straight toward
the American lines it did not help him. for
the soldiers were after him, entirely unre-
garding the battle Some of them headed
him off again. and in another moment an
athletic young soldier had seized first his
tail and then his legs. Still another mo-
ment and the pig, firmly held was on his
way back to the trenches, riding on the
shoulder of this young man, his fore legs
gripped by one hand and his hind legs by
The soldiers resumed their places in the
trench; the one who had the pig put him
back into the thatched-roof building, and
presently returned to his own place and
took up his gun.
1t is safe to say that during the chase of
the pig no American soldier who saw the
affair discharged his gun at the group The
Americans who saw it were too full of adj
miratiOn and aStoniShment to add TO the
dangers which the audacious Spaniards
were under; but thousands of Americans
who could not see the incident were blaZ-
ing away in that direction, and the Span
iards who were chasing the pig must have
heard a great many bullets whistling about
their ears during their performance.
The Americans who were within view Of
the occurrence were confirmed by 1t IN the
opinion which they had begun to form al
ready-that the people at home who had
told them that the SpaniardS were towards
did not know what they were talking about.