388 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 



can perceive the protruded snout and sharp watchful eyes of 

 the sentinel Peccary on duty, while his fellows behind him 

 sleep. Noiselessly the unerring rifle is raised, the ring of 

 its explosion is heard, and with a convulsive spring the 

 sentinel leaps forward out of the hole, and rolls in its death 

 struggle on the ground. Scarcely an instant is passed, a 

 low grunt is heard, and another pair of eyes is seen shining 

 steadily in the place the others had just held. Not a sound 

 is heard, the planter loads again with such dexterity that 

 not even a branch of the embowering cane is stirred. Again, 

 with steady nerve, the piece is fired, out springs the second 

 victim, as the first had done; then another takes its place, 

 and so on to the third, fourth, fifth, or twentieth, even to 

 the last of the herd; unless he should happen, by some 

 carelessness, to make a stir in the cane around him, when 

 out it springs, with a short grunt, without waiting to be shot 

 this time, and followed by the whole herd, when they make 

 a dash straight at the unlucky sportsman, who is now glad 

 enough to take to his heels, and blesses his stars if he should 

 be able to climb a tree or a fence, in time to save his legs. 

 If, during the firing, the sentinel should happen to sink in 

 the hole without making the usual spring, the one behind 

 him roots out the body to take its place. They do not 

 understand what the danger is, or whence it comes. Neither 

 do they fear it, but face its mysterious power dauntless to 

 the last. They never charge towards unseen enemies, until 

 guided either by the sight of some disturbance caused by a 

 motion in the thicket, or by those sounds, with which they 

 are familiar, indicating their position. Incredible as this 

 account may appear, it is actually the method in which the 

 settlements along Cancy Creek and on the Brazos Bottoms 

 have been, of late years, in a great measure relieved of this 

 dangerous annoyance. When one is taken in a snare or 

 trap, it is torn to pieces by the others in their eagerness to 



