BERT SEES THINGS 103 



stones and pile them near our beds. Then just as 

 we started to doze the first signals of the coming 

 conflict would sound. From down the creek, from up 

 the creek, from the slopes on either hand swarmed 

 the vanguard of the hog battalions. Black hogs, 

 white hogs, little and big, all sorts and conditions of 

 hogs, swooped down in a vicious spirit of evil ca- 

 maraderie upon our devoted camp. 



Then the battle would join. Stones and curses 

 rained upon the invaders. A perfect bedlam en- 

 sued, the terrified cries of the hogs mingling with 

 the shouts and execrations of our party and the fu- 

 rious barking of the dogs. 



For our dogs, be it said to their credit, did their 

 part nobly. " Violet/' the bull-terrier, "Nico- 

 demus, ' ' the thoroughbred Airedale, and * i Snip, ' ' the 

 most useful of the lot, who according to Brown, his 

 master, was of the "just dog" strain, charged the 

 hogs time and again. Each sortie had the same re- 

 sult. The visitors would turn and run off as fast as 

 they could, screaming and squealing until pursuit 

 ceased. The dogs would then return, the fusillade 

 of stones cease, and all would be as silent as death, 

 for about half an hour. Then again from up the 

 creek, from down the creek and from all round about 

 sounded tentative, experimental grunts and gurgles 

 and we knew that another attack was beginning to 

 develop and end in the same manner as the first 

 and all the others. 



This nightly combat was hard enough on all of 



