The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-04-24

1
long legs and lean sides, looking, in
deed, more like wolves than like
pigs.
See how they keep the little ones
behind said Mr.. Purdy.
The drove had formed a crescent
which advanced with its hollow side
toward Wolf. The dog stood menac-
ing them with barred teeth but that
even he was frightened was apparent
from his taking the defensive. Sud-
denly the foaming. rabid animals that
formed the horns of the half-moon
closed in behind the dog, and with
squeals of rage threw themselves
upon him.
Come up here!" commanded the
trapper, grasping Jim's shoulder and
whirling him toward the tree. It'll
be our turn next"
Probably jim saw the need of
flight. His face was as white as his
companions as he clambered out
along the sloping trunk of the bass
wood to a place where he could steady
himself and Buddy by throwing one
arm round branch. When he
looked toward the pumpkin-seeds,
Wolf had disappeared, and the brutes
were tearing something that might
have been an empty sack, or even a
pile of leaves.
Afterward they came in a ramb-
ling line toward the tree where the
men had found shelter. At its base
they paused and stared up, their
little eyes shining red and green
as the lust for blood surged through
their dwarfed brains. Jim raised
both hammers of his big shotgun
and planted its stock against his
shoulder.
Now" he muttered, "I'll put
some of you where you won't kill
any more dogs!"
Probably he would have done so
had not Mr.. Purdy grasped the bar
rel of the gun and held it toward the
water. IF you shoot one of them,
they'll stay here till we starve and
drop out of the tree" he said. "Wait.
They'll keep us here long enough,
anyhow"
The pigs might have been forgot
ten their grievance if they had not
seen Buddy. But at sight of his
square, muscular body, quivering
with eagerness to get down and set
tie in his own fashion the matter of
the right of way, they bristled and
squealed with renewed anger.
Mr.. Purdy glanced toward the end
branch of the Eastwood. Cant get
farther out" said he. There you
come! l knew you'd do it,"
A hog. whose long, shark-like muz-
zle was lathered with foam, had run
up the trunk, but had slipped and
fallen. AS he splashed into the
swirling water, bobbed under for
moment, and then reappeared. to set
out clumsily for the other side, the
rest of the drove edged away from
the steep bank. For a while they
stood champing their jaws and peer
ing up into the tree; and at sight of
their hideous faces Mr.. Purdy shiv.
cred and edged out on his branch,
while Jim stood sullenly and defied
them with hot eyes. Then, Just as
the old mans fingers were working
nervously at the hammers of his gun
a pumpkin-seed ran straight for the
foot of the tree and ran up its
rough, scored trunk.
KNOCK him off with your gun!"
shouted the trapper.
But the pig was too close for such
tactics. Indeed, so rapid had been
his charge that he was already within
reach of Buddy, at whom he snapped
with quick, snarling lunge. At the
same instant Buddy closed his teeth
on the fleshy nose of the pumpkin
seed. There was a piercing squeal
as the animal tried to free himself,
and after a short struggle, dog and
hog dropped from the tree.
THAT critter'll remember the last
time he tackled Buddy" Jim shout
ed, forgetting his peril in JOY at the
pigs dilemma.
When the combatants came to the
surface, Buddy was still holding his
enemy by the nose. Even the shock
of cold water had failed to loosen
his grip, and as the two floated away,
the dog, at least, seemed happy. The
other pigs trotted along the bank,
but evidently were unwilling to
plunge into the water for the sake
of helping their companion.
"Now's our chance!" Mr.. Purdy
said, excitedly, as he saw the drove
sweep into the brush of the intersect-
ing creek. They'll follow till Bud
dy and his friend drown or float
ashore. Let's run for it," They
scrambled down, and in five minutes
had covered so much country that
they felt safe in slowing to a walk.
Two hours later they reached the
Crawford homestead; and while they
were eating supper, rejoicing because
they had not shared the fate of Wolf
and Buddy, and mourning because
two good dogs had been killed, some
thing scratched at the door, and sue
ceeded in forcing it open. 1t was
Buddy, wet, footsore and cut about
the head and muzzle, but happy.
1t was impossible to learn how he
had escaped, although Mr.. Purdy
suggested that he might have chung
to the pumpkin-seed until the latter
went down, and then floated ashore
across from the drove. Even to satis-
fly their hatred, the pumpkin-seeds