130 WILD SPORTS m THE SOUTH. 



I took him by the ear and Ayalked around to where Mike 

 had taken his stand, and where he was busy taking off 

 the skins of the two deer he had shot. 



" What did you shoot at ?" he inquired, as I came up. 



"A young hog!" and then I told him how the drove 

 had rushed upon me, led by the vicious old boar, until 

 in desperation I had made bacon of one, and so lost my 

 chance at the deer. 



"Some takes kindly to pork," replied Mike, "and 

 when hard up I can worry down a leetle roast pig myself 

 — but I don't keer to have 'em too often. Howsumever, 

 they like 'em at the house." 



So taking up the two saddles of venison, we hung them 

 in the woods by the side of the other, and went down to 

 get my porker, but, alas ! like the old lady in the nursery 

 rhymes, when I came back my porker was gone. 



" I am sure he was dead," I replied to Mike's quizzical 

 smile. " He lay there at that spot, and I had my feet 

 on him while I loaded my rifle. There's the blood on 

 the grass now." 



"What druv the hogs/)ut so fast — was Yowler arter 

 'em?" 



" No, they seemed to come alone, and Yowler skulked 

 down, trembling, just as he is doing now." 



Mike glanced at the dog, and then leaned down until 

 his face almost came against the sod, when, drawing him- 

 self partially up, he said, " We'd better make tracks out 

 of this corner ; there ain't room enough for a free fight 

 heyur." 



