AN AWKWARD POSITION. 181 



great ravages in the maize and barley fields of Messrs. 

 Morgan, who waged against them a deadly war; and 

 naturally they delighted to discourse of their numerous 

 exploits. I experienced a genuine pleasure in hearing 

 them fume and fret as they showed me their finest dogs 

 accidentally ripped and torn by the Texan wild boars ; 

 accidentally, I say, for no dog willingly enters on a pec- 

 cary-hunt after his first experience of it. 



One morning, Mr. John Morgan, on entering the room 

 at breakfast-time, informed us that he had been to judge 

 for himself of the ravages committed in his maize-fields by 

 a bear and a herd of peccaries. He had had no difficulty 

 in following up the traces of the bear, and while thus 

 engaged had come face to face with the peccaries, who 

 were whetting their tusks against the stems of his maize, 

 and cutting them down like the sickle of a cunning 

 reaper. It was too late for him to effect an honourable 

 retreat ; for his enemies had caught sight of him, and, 

 according to their wont, immediately started in pursuit, 

 growling, and at every step gnashing their hungry teeth. 

 To stop and discharge his rifle was an impossibility : to 

 save his neck, Mr. Morgan took to his heels. He ran in 

 the direction of a barrier, and fortunately got there before 

 the peccaries. He climbed to the top of the highest 

 rail, and close upon him came his pursuers, standing on 

 their hind-legs and tearing the wood with their tusks. 

 The lower portion of the fence gave way, and Mr. Mor- 

 gan assured us that he felt much in the position of a hen 

 dancing on a red-hot bar of iron, while he fired with all 

 possible rapidity. He had already killed several pec- 

 caries, but the rage of those who remained seemed to in- 



