Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-11-29
"MEDICINE" HOG.
By Bourbon Wilson.

In January, 1893, l Followed the au-
vice of Horace Greeley to go west, and
l have since grown up with the coun-
try, but it was due to hog that this
growth was not ended terribly almost
in it's beginning. l went to Silver City,
New Mexico, hoping to get work there,
but was disappointed; and after idling
about until the latter part Of Febru-
airy, Joined young fellow of about
my own age. and started for the noun
tains on prospecting trip.
was a "tenderfoot," and knew moth
ing of mining, but Billy, my partner,
during several years spent about the
mines had learned much of ore and
''leads" and prospects" and such
things, and he promised to teach me all
that 1 needed to know. Walking be-
hind and driving the two little burros
upon whose backs our effects were
packed, a three days march carried
us to the range of mountains where
Billy meant to prospect for silver. The
slopes Of this range, and the surround
ing country for hundreds of miles in
every direction, are an all but water
less desert but the summit is a broad,
level tableland which has an elevation
so great that it catches the few clouds
which drift that way, and thus obtains
such a rainfall that it is covered with
growth of juicy grass and splendid
pines. The summit Is now the range
of large herds Of cattle, but in the time
r>f 1xrbtn n
raids of Apache Indians made it
dangerous place for cattlemen.
There being no water elsewhere, we
climbed to the summit and had begun
making our camp when we heard a
crashing of dry branches in a thicket
not far away, and a loud "Woof! woof!
woof" Dropping geverything we seized
our rifles. The next moment, to our
amazement, q black hog of medium
size. gaunt and long-legged, galloped
toward us, grunting and "woofing" as
he came. Instantly we lowered our
rifles-we had nothing 70 fear from
this familiar friend of the barn-yard.
The hog ran toward us, frisking,
capering, grunting and talking" to us
necessarily, showing In every way pos
sible that he was wildly delighted to
see us. We responded by scratching
his back and talking to him. and after
while he contentedly lay down, still
grunting with delight.
We were glad to have him with us;
he gave the camp homelike air, and
it occurred to us that our slender store
of provisions might give out. But l
soon became so attached to him that
could not have eaten Il piece of his
flesh had l been starving.
How hog, and such gentle one,
came to be in that wild place, we could
not imagine; his actions showed that
there Were no other hogs on the noun
tain. that he was lonesome, and that he
had been used to regard m n as friends.
Later we learned that while pig he
was carried to the mountain by his
owner cattleman, who made a pet of
him, and who. becoming alarmed by
reports of an Apache outbreak, moved
his herd away in so great a hurry that
the shoat was forgotten.
derstand that we We're going to stay
at that camp for some time, he rooted
n hole beside Il log, and filling 1t with
leaves, made himself n comfortable
bed. But it was plain that he lived in
constant dread of being again left
alone ton the mountain.
lie would follow at our heels. goin~
with us to and from our work, never
letting us get out Of his sight for an
instant; and at night the slightest noise
would bring him galloping into camp,
grunting inquiringly, to see If we were
getting ready to leave. Thus he dis
turbed our sleep so often that l sug-
gested building brush fence round
our camp to keep Dick out, but Billy
would not listen to the proposal. He
looked upon Dicks making friends
with us as an omen of good luck. and
insisted that were we to restrict his
freedom in any way the charm would
be broken.
"You can't bring us good luck IL we
don't let you come in, can you old hog
gyt" Billy said. scratching the AMI
mails back with one hand. and pulling
his ear with the other mo, no, of
course you can't; and you are goln' to
bring us the very best kind of luck.
aren't youf"
To this Dick responded with series
of ehuckllng grunts that Billy inter-
preted to mean. "Sure thing! | don't
'pardner with any outfit without bring
ing 1t good luck And so the fence
was not built.
But day after day passed by without
trace Of silver being found: our pro-
visions ran low. and | proposed that
we give up and go back tn Silver City.
Billy laughed at me; his faith In Dick
was as strong as ever. and We con-
tlnued peeking away OH the mountain
side.
Near the end of March we were
awakened before daybreak by a savage