Year: 1874

| A SKETCH IN NEW ZEALAND.
1t might have been two o'clock
in the morning, when we were
reused from sleep, rs we lay snug
ly wrapped up in warm pos
sum.rugs, dreaming ola thunder
storm, with its alternating flashes
of lightning, followed by sharp
claps Of thunder. Waking up, in
stead of thunder, we heard the an
cry and decp-toncd bark of a pig.
|, dog, alfblood hound, half masliff,
that was chained up outside the


varre. Tho fire on the hearth
had burnt low, and sent up ftful
flashes that had doue duty, in our
dreams, for lightning. There
was, however, no mistaking what
was meant by the deep tones Of
the dog. A wild boar was prowl-
ing about near at hand. The
moon bad risen, as VIC saw by the
light which played through the
window, and the idea Of q chase
by moonlight was too exciting to
be resisted, especially as one OF
the miners, who owned the dog,
was tho first to volunteer. Hasti.
ly jumping up, and tossing on one
side our possum-rugs, we open
ed the door and sailed out. The
dog once loose from his chain,
bounded forward in pursuit up one
of tho ravines, while we followed
at top speed, holter-skelter owe:
rocks and stones, all obstacles dis.
appearing in the excitement Of the
burst. The dog vas soon out Of
sight, but later On We heard him
giving tongue, and knew that be
had brought the boar to bay. Ar
irving on the scene of action as
soon as we could, we found the
dog standing in q little stream
of water under a bank, on the top
of which stood the boar, snorting
angrily and grinding his tusks
with the fierce swapping Of it's
jaws. Immediately behind t b
animal rose . steep rocky bank,
at the foot of which narrow
strip Of level ground ,ar alongside
Of the stream. On our appear
anco the boar turned upon US the
whole Of its attention, which had
been previously concentrated on
the dog, though the quickness Of
the dog in availing himself Of the
least want Of wariness on the part
of his enemy, compelled the latter
necessarily to look after its own
position, and distracted its atten-
tion from US. Placed as the boar
was it had the advantage over the
dog, which, on lower level, was
unable to mount the bank in face
Of it's ferce tusks. We had no
wish to protTact matters, so hasti-
ly seiziug the largest stones that
came to hand, we aimed them


with all our might, lcaping stimuli
tancously on the bank, on either
side Of the boar. With q rush the
animal darted at me, giving me
scarce time to spring back into
the creek, when I saw it some
half.a dozen yards off, with the
dog in full chase. Closing up, the
dog gave it sharp nip on the tail;
the boar turned it's head around
at the unexpected attack putting
it's car between the dogs jaws
which instantly closed on it. We
arrived on :hc spot Immediately
to help tho dog. The angry snort
ing of the boar seemed to breathe
defiance, as it dashed from side to
side now turning around and
around as it strove to free itself
from the firm grip of the hound,
now endeavoring to charge one or
other of us. Side by side with it
kept the dog throughout the whole
affray, never relaxing his hold for
3 moment, nor giving it q chance
to use it's formidable tusks. Encum-
bered as the boar was by the
weight of the heavy dog, it was still
active enough to keep us skirmish-
ing about several acconds avoid
ing its charges, while we cndeav-
ored TO seize it, till Fl ally my
companion succeeded in securing
it by ono of the hind legs. With
his unoccupicd hand be drew his
dagger-knite and plunged it into
the animals heart; we shortly
had the satisfaction of seeing 1t
roll heavily ever, and snort its last.
Calling off the dog, which content
ed itself with giving the boar's ear
a final shake, wo set about leisurely
retracing our steps.-Hawthorne.
COMPARING THEIR GARTERs.-
The other day, after q meeting of
a certain famous women's club in