A Peccary Hunt on the Nueces 177 



larger than either of them. However, a wary, 

 resolute, hard-biting dog of good size speedily 

 gets accustomed to the chase, and can kill a 

 peccary single-handed, seizing it from behind 

 and worrying it to death, or watching its 

 chance and grabbing it by the back of the neck 

 where it joins the head. 



Peccaries have delicately molded short legs, 

 and their feet are small, the tracks looking 

 peculiarly dainty in consequence. Hence, 

 they do not swim well, though they take to 

 the water if necessary. They feed on roots, 

 prickly pears, nuts, insects, lizards, etc. They 

 usually keep entirely separate from the droves 

 of half-wild swine that are so often found in 

 the same neighborhoods; but in one case, on 

 this very ranch where I was staying, a peccary 

 deliberately joined a party of nine pigs and 

 associated with them. When the owner of 

 the pigs came up to them one day the peccary 

 manifested great suspicion at his presence, 

 and finally sidled close up and threatened to 

 attack him, so that he had to shoot it. The 

 ranchman s son told me that he had never but 

 once had a peccary assail him unprovoked, 

 and even in this case it was his dog that was 

 the object of attack, the peccary rushing out 

 at it as it followed him home one evening 



