Year: 1873

The wild hog or peccary of Mexico, in spite
of its insignificant size, is one of the most
tluculent and fierce little animals the sports
man can fall in WITH Standing seldom more
than twenty, and never more than twenty
inches high, they are, from the sharpness and
length of their tuslSs, and the rapidity with
which they can cut up and down with them,
really very dangerous little beasts and from
their going in small bands of from three or
four to fifteen or twenty, sportsmen generally
give them wide berth and no matter how
good your dogs may be, they stand no chance
with them. They seem to fear no danger,
count no odds, and are seemingly always ready
for fight Numberless stories have been
told of their fierceness and am about to re-
late an adventure Of my own with them, which
might have resulted very unpleasantly for
myself. ''-e


Many years ago was on shooting expedi-
ton up the river Brazos, and feeling rather
languid one morning, did not accompany my
companions on their daily excursion Being
better in the afternoon, | took a small rifle
and went into cane patch to see if | could
PICK up ~ WIN tulhty lOI ulONlnR Ou
in silent manner, noticed the slender cane
stems in front of me shake, and presently saw
some small, dark object, which | at once con-
cluded to be a wild turkey. Moving on as
quickly, and at the same time as quietly as |
could, at last saw enough of the body to fire
at, and pulled. ---~ ~ '<


Scarce had the report died away before, in
twenty directions, the canes were shaking,
and / heard the snap-snap noise which wild
hogs make. knew it was no time to loiter
there, or even to wait to reload. So turning
about bolted for the outskirt of the cane
patch as hard as could lay foot to ground,
with the whole pack after me like so many
hounds after fox. Fortunately for me, just
outside the canes were some trees, upon reach
ing which | threw the sling of my rifle over
my head, and went up one quicker, believe,
than ever topman went aloft and even then
my pursuers were swapping and grunting
around the root of my tree before had time
to comfortably settle myself amongst its
branches.


At first was disposed to make light of the
situation, for did not then know the tenacity
with which these little mixtures of ill-temper
and bristle stick to their enemies, and fancied
that if / shot one or two of them the rest would
skedaddle; but as i wanted to save my am
munition, / determined to have a pipe, hoping
that they would get tired of waiting and by
returning to the banquet of young cane-shoots
give me chance of descending from my
perch and returning home. SO ! lit my pipe
and reloaded my rifle. Upon counting the
herd, found that there were sixteen of them !;
and they really formed no pleasant picture, as,
with the bristles on their backs standing on
end like "quills upon the fretful porcupine, I"
they ratified their ivory tusks like castanets,
and besprinkled their breasts and shoulders
with white frosty foam, as they ran round and
round the tree, looking up at me with any
thing but friendly expression of counten-
ance.


After waiting for about half an hour, | saw
that they had no present intention of leaving.
So, selecting the largest of them put ball
through his head. The flash and report, in
stead of, as had fondly hoped soaring them,
merely seemed to add fresh fuel to their rage,
and their efforts to scale my fortress became
redoubled. Again j loaded and dropped an
other, which had merely the same effect upon
them now began to be seriously alarmed,
for had only four more bullets in my pouch ;
and of course, from my position being so much
above them, they only represented four more