246 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



proaeh and fired, or rather tried to do so, but his gun 

 missed. He then in an instant fell on his face and hands, 

 and the sow ran over his body. Rising, and loading 

 his gun, he provoked the sow again by his cries. The 

 foaming creature, with flashing eyes, turned upon him ; 

 but this time she received the charge in her head, and fell. 

 Wild hogs are easily domesticated, and as easily 

 resume their uncivilised habits ; but they seem then to 

 keep in packs. Mr. By am relates the following adven- 

 ture with these renegades : c I was one day hunting 

 alone, on foot, in a rather open wood, when a large 

 boar made his appearance about sixty yards off ; and 

 not seeing any of his companions, I let fly the ball, and 

 tumbled him over. He gave a fierce grunt or two as ha 

 lay ; and a large herd of boars and sows rushed out of 

 some thick underwood behind him, and, after looking at 

 the fallen beast for a few seconds, made a dash at me ; 

 but they were a trifle too late, for on catching sight of 

 them, I ran to a tree, " cut up " it for life, and had only 

 just scrambled into some diverging branches, about ten 

 feet from the ground, when the whole herd arrived, 

 grunting and squeaking, at the foot of the tree. I 

 could not help laughing at the ridiculous figure I must 

 have made, chased up a tree by a dozen of pigs ; but it 

 soon turned out no laughing matter, for their patience 

 was not, as I expected, soon exhausted ; and they settled 

 round the tree about twenty yards distant, and kept 

 looking at me with their little twinkling eyes, as much 

 as to say " We'll have you yet." ' So far are Mr. Byam's 

 own words ; and I now give the sequel in a more 

 abridged form, though by so doing I feel that I deprive 

 the story of some of its zest : Having made up his 

 mind to a regular siege, he examined his resources, and 



