Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-23
THE VICIOUS PECCARY.
A Fierce Creature Is the South Amer
lean Wild Boar.

| A Fierce Creature Is the South Amer
lean Wild Boar.
During one of his journeys into Mex
fco Edward w. Walton. a mining ex
| pert. had a close call from being sliced
to shreds by the fierce little South
! American pigs known as peccaries. he
told the story of his escape to Den
yer Post reporter.
II wished to secure some plumes
from a number of the beautifully plum
aged BIRDS" said Mr.. Walton. 81 went
into the jungle and came 20 a small
opening in which there were dry
leaves, probably foot in depth. COW
ering the ground, and hundreds of
beautifully colored tropical birds in
the air and in the trees. fred at one
of the birds in fight, when 1t seemed
to me the whole area of these dead
leaves arose in front of and all around
me. Being stranger. naturally l was
much frightened, especially when l
saw the animals which raised up the
leaves apparently ready for an attack.
The older animals opened and closed
their mouths, showing their big. sharp
tusks. formed much like a dirk knife
Impulsively commenced firing my
gun in the air and turned around
which seemed to stop most OF them
momentarily, and as had lots of car
triGges kept up the shooting. and
they turned and ran away. I found
afterward that had saved my life
by so doing and by not shooting any of
the animals.
These animals proved to be pecca-
ries. They are most ferocious and will
attack any animal in existence on the
slightest provocation. When I got
back to headquarters and told my COM
panions my experience was informed
that had shot one of the animals and
made him squeal the whole bunch
would have been on me and would
have torn me to pieces quickly. They
have been known to kill bears. jaguars.
cattle, horses and any number of dogs.
Although in the fight scores of their
number might be killed. they seem to
have no fear when once aroused.
II was told the peccarieS burrow IN
der the dry leaves to protect them
selves from mosquitoes aud other
winged pests of that hot country. Ny
to tell in regard to these ferocious lit
tie animals. One of this party. while
travelling with a companion in a wag-
on, stopped for lunch under some trees
and turned their horses out to Craze.
While at lunch a large bunch of pee
carries appeared, and they thought it
would be nice to shoot among them
and get one or two for meat, so they
fired into them. wounding several.
which commenced to squeal. Then the
whole bunch made an attack. The men
climbed quickly into the wagon and
kept on shooting so long as the am
munition which they had In their
pockets lasted. AS they were opening
their bags to get out more ammunition
the peccaries climbed up the tongue
of the wagon and jumped into it. and
the men saved themselves only by
jumping on to the seat and then on to
limbs Of the trees. the peccaries taking
possession of the wagon and tearing
things to pieces. They remained in
possession for hours. the men watching
them from safety in the trees"
The peccary. or South American wild
boar. is the smallest Of his species, av-
eraging about three feet long, nor is
the animal possessed of any unusual
degree of strength. To make up for
the natural individual deficiencies in
combat with the more powerful ami
mails of the jungle the peccarieS al
ways travel in large herds. When once
attacked by a herd of peccaries the
outcome is nearly always death to their
enemy. The little pigs are armed with |
short sharp tusks. and no matter how
great the slaughter of their own num-
Der during the melee the herd stay on
the job until the work is finished.
Travellers in tropical and South |
American countries tell of fierce en- |
counters between the peccaries and the |
jaguar, the monster cat which is lord |
Of the forest The jaguar has a fond
ness for dinner of pork. but a whole
some respect for the power of a herd
IF wild pigs. When he wants to sat
sly his cravings for a pork diet he
1rops from a limb of a tree on. to the
back of a straggler In the peccary
herd. The jaguar Stays his victim and
hen retreats hastily to his tree be-
lore the herd can get at him. When
he herd grows tired of waiting for
him to come down and moves along
he jaguar descends and enjoys his
neal at leisure. Frederick Selous in
lis romance Of the animal world has
IN interesting account of a fight be
ween a jaguar and a herd of pee
aries. The peccaries had the jaguar
reed on the limb of a tree from which
he bark had rotted away. He was
My a few feet above them and by
arassing and jumping at their enemy
nally succeeded in bringing the con-
let to the ground. After the fight
Tas over there were eleven killed and
peccaries, but the jaguar was
terally torn to pieces.
Alone in Saw Mill at Midnight,
mindful of dampness. drafts, storms
i