The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-12-08
Among the PeCcarieS
Bill Recalls a Hunt In Which He
Took Part.

was a-hunting deer mostly, an antelope,
an wasn't a-lookin specially fur pee
carries. But saw enough Of en- TO ind
out they're just like all other game. The
main thing they want Is a chance to
git out. They are about as wild as deer,
and so much lower that you can't see
EN- easy In the cactus and mescal, till
they've heard or smelt yOu or seen you,
perhaps; an when they de- they are gone
pretty near as fast as any deer. / ex-
pect though, | might IA got a scrap out
OF luck. II kind O. looked as II 1t WASH I
safe 70 make one of EN- squeal unless
you've got sheet-iron britches on"
What brought you TO that conclusion?"
l asked
We'll. my ideas just drifted that way
one day. an another day they kind O.
anchored there. The first time I'd gone
only about 100 yards from my horse
when l saw sOmethin brown movin'
among the stalks Of the lechuga. Not
bein VOL up in tne business. for want
OF practice, | shot at II without waitin
for a sure. KILN shot There was sud
then whole string Of grunts an snorts
with the dust a-hyin from the dry
ground an the clatter Of hoOfs, as II a
Mexican ball was under way II I'd
knOWed enough to stOOp down, or even
stand still and keep quiet they'd prob
ably got through their racket an gone off
without noticin me. But a few feet
away was a rock about six feet nigh
more logical than my nut, so in q min
ute / was on top Of 1t. But l was in
such a hurry that my rife made a noise
against the rock, an In jiffy the whole
herd o. pigs was at the base.
II had one Of the Old-fashioned Sharp's
rifles. pretty well rusted IN the chamber,
an ia been too lazy to clean II. because
the air was 50 dry there was no danger
OF its rustin'. Tne shell jammed in it
~ that l couldn't git il IN or out So
had the fun of lookin' down into the jaws
Of as wicked-lookin' little devils as i
ever saw. They look a good deal like a
cross between razor-back an a sun
nsh, with a fringe Of long hair runnin
down the back of the neck and shoul-
ders, red eyes that seem TO burn into
your marrow and white tusks curlin
outside the upper lip with a chilly CLEAN
that starts the snivers a-waltzin around
your grub box. Then they can pop their
mouths with heap more expression
than common wild pig, an when their
toes II has a tendency to keep your think
er from gittin' out Of practice.
About the time 1 had concluded that
the best way was TO keep still and give
EN- a chance to go away. Jose, a Mexi-
can boy that was huntin with me. come
along on his horse. Mexican boy will
laugh az MS own funeral. you know, an
the cuss just laid back on his horse, a
few yards away, an laughed to split
Just as / was a-gittin' mad because he
didn't shoot. he began 10 tie his gun fast
his RATA. ! knew the Mexican kids be-
gin lassoin the cat over the side OF the
cradle and ride like monkeys before they
git pants on. but how the deuce he eX-
pected 10 rope that whole gang in that
kind Of ground was a new tangler fur my
weary brains
''He shook out a small moose an ridin'
right INTO the edge OF the peccaries an
leanin low from the saddle ne snapped
one by the hind leg. just as they wheeled
around 10 see wnat WAS a-gOin a..
Three turns around the horn Of the sad
die as quick as ightnin', and Jose had
the rope fast an the horse under way,
with the pig a-squealin' all sorts o. mod
ern music. The rest Of the gang left
the rock where I was an went after that
horse fast enough 10 suit me. A man
wouldn't have stood ghost OF "A show
fur gettin' out Of their way. an they
come mighty near Overhauln' the horse.
Jose wasn't goin' as fast as he could. but
just fast enough 10 keep 'em follerin
But he was a-goln' fast enough, an If
you think a peccary can't run, you don't
want 10 try 10 ind out with your own
legs.
".wny he went, over rough rocks an
through cactus an all sorts OF prickly
stun. with the pigs after him. an kid
like. had 10 go right past my horse an
make him break loose and join the pro-
cession. The saddle turned and slid un-
der his belly. an he went a-buckin'
across the plans, bucked an the saddle
and skinned fur home, leavin me TO walk
half q dozen miles IN a brilliant sun.
But Jose led the pigs out Of the brush
an along the outer edge until their
tongues was a-hangin' out. Then by
roundabout way he come 10 me an ad-
yised me to pull my freight fur town be-
fore they got rested up. Altogether. il
kind O. looked as IL them pigs could set
'up a warm scrap fur feller II they had
a chance.
"A few days later / became more GER
tain OF Il. In fact ! made up my mind
that / didn't want any wild pork
never was stuck on II, after havln' some
Of my best dogs split open by the big
Wild hawgs of the Sacramento tule coun-
try In early davs Some OF the first
hawgs that got loose there made it live
ly fur anybody that went In. But when
II comes 70 stayin qualities I guess tho
peccaries cant give 'em pints. Tule pork
viii Otter 20 a-gunning fur you without
any rilin but I don't think peccaries will.
They seem as anxious TO get out with
peace an honor as any bear is. But II
they have 10 face the music 1t looks as II
they'd do to bet on
zone day I went out with the station
agent Of the railroad at the base Of the
mSntains that swings up out OF the big
plain they call the BolsOn de Mapimi IL
wasn't long before l saw him raise his
rife an shoot at some dark brown
streakS EOin' through the lechuga. There
peccaries the time ] was out with Jose
NY legs heard IL first and got down to
hizness They was a-doin' pretty we'll
cnnslderin' the cactus and other things
all full OF stickers. Ike everythin' In that
country. when sut Of the corner Of my
eve ] saw the agent a-doin' still better.
He had reached "a rock and was develop
in pretty lively wiggle in gittin' on top
OF IT, After he'd dragged his boot up on
top OF Il he took aim al somethin' at
the hase df 1t an fired. There had been
the darudcst squeiin'. snortin' an grunt-
In a-goin' on all this time an now II
WAS twice as loud when the gun went
II knowed what It was well enough.
but thought il would be time enough to
Interfere when ] was called on. I've used
lots OF good Judgment in this line in bear
huntin', an it's a principle that will do
In lots Of other cases. Then. too. ! had
a sudden curiosity 70 find a good boulder
enough to sleep on II the night should
happen 60 be cold To tell the truth I
wanted 10 shoot tho Dit entirely, but
there was no place for refreshments
near BY. so I had TO stay an see the
play The best rock I'm reach was about
half way to my companion IL would be
comfortable to be near him III We should
have to spend the night. but suppose the
cusscd peccaries should see me before I
got there. It was over fifty yards away
ln the cactus and other sticiyers i
wouldn't help me along like them seem
10 do with the peccaries. / never carry
many cartridges you know. fur any
thing. an hadn't an extra stock of con-
luence In my rifle after the way 10 went
back on me before. Sometimes. too
m drove. with a few more scoutin
around on the outside. An In they find
3nNthin To make 2 row about they're
pretty sure 70 let the rest Of the gang
know IT, Without gein' into too MANY
inc pints. ! just had TO reach TINT rock
lr sneak on an leave my friend alone to
ight It out. Tf.at's a trick / never can
llay on any man. especially when / don't !