Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-06-06
JEROB0AM.

"SeattIe was little settlement OF about a
thousand people. We had come overland
from the middle West by way OF Colora-
do, bringing two wagons, and stopping
sometimes for a month or six weeks to
let sick horse get well or do some re-
pairing to the outfit. Finally we reached
Puget Sound, and settled down on
quarter-section of land so thickly timber
ed that my father didn't see the center Of
his own ranch for nearly year.
"Within six months our property con-
sisted of some cows and calves, one team,
dozen chickens, five pigs-and Jero-
boam. AT a glance you might have taken
Jeroboam for pig, too, but even in his
youth we came to recognize him as some
thing else. We had traded one OF our
teams for most of the live stock, and Jer-
oboam was included in the list.
"At that time he looked good deal
like any other shoat, but gradually he be-
gan to grow away from his brothers and
sisters, not only in appearance, but in dis
position. He grew tall as rapidly as the
others grew broad, and he began to man
ifest surprising turn for investigation
and oriental research. While the others
were sleeping comfortably in a wallow
near the log barn, Jeroboam was explor-
ing the farthest confines OF the yard,
searching with his long, slim nose for a
way into the great world beyond the pick
ct fence.
"TheSe were the first indications that a
character had come among uS-a charac-
ter uniformed and in the making, but one
that had cracked in some previous stage
of existence the iron hoops OF limitation.
Ieroboam was a converSationaliSt, as well
as an explorer. He had an ordinary pigs
delight in having his back scratched, and
as soon as he grew tall enough to reach
the Top of the picket fence with his front
feet and to peer over, he used to put IN
most of his time in this attitude, looking
with hungry eyes over the surrounding
country, or smiling at one OF us.
CATER his own fashion, Jerry grew with
surprising rapidity; but he diSgusted my
father by growing taller and leaner and
tougher and lohger-legged. When the
time came for selling three OF his brothers,
Jerry had to be passed over. Father pre-
tended that it was simply on account OF
his ridiculous physical proportions.
There's nothing TO him but whang leath-
er and whaebone and lignum-vite, he
would say, in apparent disgust. But
knew, and mother knew, that the head
of the family entertained a fondness Tor
Jeroboam, just as we did.
"By fall Jeroboam stood higher than
my waist, and there was very little OF the
country about our ranch that he hadn't
explored. Surely there was never an
other civilized pig like him, with his long,
powerful Jaws and his long, lean, muscu-
lar body.
"'You'd better keep that razorback OF
yours at home,' the man who owned the
sawmill told father. 4 saw him roofing
round in the road just above here yes
terday, and he acted like he'd bought my
land and was thinking of turning me OF
il. tell you it won't be healthy for him
if my dogs catch sight OF him-tor they
detest hogs
"Father didn't want to have any trouble
with the neighbors, so he put an extra
strip OF slabs round the top OF the fence
and forced Jerry inside. But he was out
less than ten minutes later, having torn
some pickets off by grasping them in his
iroa jaws and twisting his head.
81 was with him when the millers
hounds found him. Jerry had heard them
coming through the woods, and stood
champing his tusks and peering into the
shadows with his little eyes glowing red
and green. Suddenly a big dog broke
from the edge of the brush, and was fol-
lowed moment later by two others.
"The leader was nearly as tall as Jero-
boam, but the others were smaller dogs
foxhounds, suppose. In a moment they
spied Jerry, where he stood in an angle
OF the rail fence.
al began to scream, for | thought the
miller's prophecy was about TO be fulfill
ed. They rushed upon my companion,
tumb. ling over each other in their haste.
The big 'pot-hound' was first to attack
and he must have stuck his head almost
into Ieroboam's mouth, from his appear
auce afterward. AT any rate, when ne
freed himself from the grip OF those terri
ble Jaws, he tumbled backward into a
clump of nettles, and seemed to have had
enough. The two remaining dogs tired
to use more teamwork, but Jerry had a
position of vantage, and he knew how to
defend it.
81 remembered what one OF Our neigh
bors had said, "A critter that'll take hold
anywhere and crack bone, like that hog
Jerry, can pretty near look out for him.
self,'-and might have felt sorry for the
miller's dogs if they hadn't begun the
fight. Pretty soon they sneaked home
the pot-hound skulking in the rear; anc
the next day the miller told my fathei
that his dogs must have been at close
quarters with a cougar. He said they
looked as il they had been run through
sausage-machine.
@That winter we sent mother down t