The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1909-07-13

abouts to the southwark Thither /
determined to 60, and next morning
Moore and started in a buggy drawn
by redoubtable horse, named Jim
Swinger, which we were allowed to
use because he bucked 80 under the
saddle that nobody on the ranch could
ride him. We drove six or seven hours
across the dry. waterless plains.
In the valley Of the Nueces itself
the brush grew thick. There were
great groves Of pecan trees, and ever
green live-oaks stood In many places.
iong, wlnd-shaken tufts Of gray moss
hanging from their limbs. Many Of
the trees in the wet spots were Of
was semi-tropical in character.
High on a bluff shoulder overlooking
the course of the river was perched
the ranch house, toward which we
were bending our steps; and here we
were received with the hearty hospi-
tality characteristic of the ranch coun-
try everywhere. The son Of the ranch
man, a tall, well-built young fellow,
told me at once that there were pee
carries in the neighborhood. and that
he had himself shot one but two or
three days before. and volunteered to
lend us horses and pilot us to the
game on the morrow. with the help
of his two dogs. The last were big
black ours with, as we were assured,
considerable hound" in them. One
was at the time staying at the ranch
house, the other was four or five miles
off with Mexican goat-herder. and
it was arranged that early in the
morning we should ride down to the
latter place, taking the first dog with
US and procuring his companion when
we reached the goat-herder's house.
We started after breakfast, riding
powerful cow-ponies. well trained to
gallop at full speed through the dense
chaparral. The big black hound
slouched at our heels. We rode down
the banks of the Nueces. crossing aud
recrossing the stream. Here and
there were long. deep pools In the bed
of the river. where rushes and lilies
grew and huge mailed garfish swan
slowly just beneath the surface Of the
water. Once my two companions
stopped to pull a mired COW out Of a
slough, hauling with ropes from their
saddle horns. In places there were
half dry pools. out of the regular cur
rent of the river, the water green and
fetid. The trees were very tall and
large. The streamers OF pale gray
moss hung thickly from the branches
of the live-oaks, and when many trees
olo fhov
bore strangely mournful and desc
late look.
We finally found the queer little hut
of the Mexican goat-herder in the
midst Of grove of giant pecans. On
the walls were nailed the skins OF
different beasts, raccoons, wildcats,
and the tree civet, with its ringed tail.
The Mexican's brown wife and chill
dren were in the hut, but the man
himself and the goats were off in the
forest, and it took us three or four
hours search before We found him.
Then it was nearly noon, and We
lunched in his hut. square building
of split logs, with bare earth floor, and
roof of clap-boards and bark. Our
lunch consisted of goats meat and pan
de mais. The Mexican. broad-chest-
ed man with a stolid Indian face. was
evidently quite sportsman. and had
two or three half-starved hounds, be-
sides the funny hairless little house
dogs. of which Mexicans seem SO
fond.
Having borrowed the javalina hound
of which we were in search. we rode
OF in quest OF our game, the two dogs
trotting gayly ahead. The one which
had been living at the ranch had evi-
dently Jared well. and was very fat:
the other was little else but skin and
bone. but as alert and knowing as any
New York street-hoy. with the same
air OF disreputable capacity. 1t was
this hound which always did most in
finding the javalinas and bringing
them to bay, his companions chief
use being to make a noise and lend
the moral support Of his presence.
We rode away from the river on the
dry uplands. where the timber. though
thick. was small, consisting almost ex-
clusively OF the thorny mesquites.
Mixed among them were prickly pears,
6tAuuAuB as AASA dS ouI ucduS Ofi
horseback, and Spanish bayonets, look
ing In the distance like small palms;
and there were many other kinds Of
cactus. all with poisonous thorns. Two
or three times the dogs got on an old
trail and rushed off giving tongue.
whereat we galloped madly afser them,
ducking and lodging through and
among the clusters of spine bearing
trees and cactus. not without getting
q considerable number OF thorns in our
hands and legs. 1t was very dry and
hot. Where the javalinas live in
droves In the river bottoms they often
drink at the pools: but when some dis
tance from water they seem to live
quite comfortably on the prickly pear.
shaking their thirst by eating its hard,
juicy fibre.
At last, after several false alarms,
and gallops which led to nothing. when
1t lacked but an hour of sundown we
struck q band Of five OF the little wild
hogs. They were running OF through
the mesquites with peculiar hopping
or bounding motion. and we all. dogs
and men. tore after them instantly.