180 THE WILD HOG. 



within range, and, giving the birds the benefit of 

 one barrel on the water, I sprang to my feet, and 

 with the second, took all the fight out of the peccary 



boar. 



On another occasion, I was hunting on Caney Creek, 

 near to Dr. C.'s plantatioD, where I was then living. 

 At the time of which I speak, I was in the forest, 

 about half-a-mile distant from the plantation fence, 

 and about a mile from the nearest inhabited building. 

 I was on foot, armed with a single-barrelled rifle and 

 my hunting-knife, and was looking about in some 

 young switch-cane in search of deer, — some venison 

 beiup' wanted for ' the white folks' ' table. 



In stalking —' still-hunting ' it is called in the 

 South — the hunter has to move as silently as possible ; 

 and to do this it is necessary to move very slowly, 

 as well as to keep a sharp look-out ; for game, owing 

 to the tangled nature of the woods, is not easily to 

 be discovered — so that any movement of the weeds, 

 cane, or bushes, must be quickly noticed, as it may be 

 caused by game. The snap of a dried twig, under the 

 nimble spring of a squirrel, will check a hunter until 

 he satisfies himself what caused it. Moving on in 

 this silent fashion, I noticed the shaking of some 

 slender cane-stems in my front, and, looking closely, 

 caught occasional glimpses of some small, dark object. 



Thinking it might be a wild turkey, I paused 

 anxiously, until I could see enough of it to plant a 



