FOREST LIFE PLAT. 83 



among which he is hidden. If he do, there- is an end of 

 the game ; out jumps the beast in the door-way, with all 

 the rest at his heels, and together they make a grand 

 charge at the sportsman, who finds a tree, or a light pair 

 of heels, his best defence against these fierce and fearless 

 animals. 



A bear hunt in Texas, which is one of the places where 

 peccaries are found, was one day brought to a very amus- 

 ing termination by these small pests. The bear, trying 

 to climb a tree, as the hunters came up to him, was sur- 

 rounded by the dogs, who held him on every side in such 

 a manner as to render it difficult to get a shot at him, for 

 fear of wounding them. Bruin was accordingly pitching 

 them right and left, when all at once a drove of peccaries 

 dashed, grunting, upon the whole group. The dogs, cut 

 and slashed by their villanous sharp teeth, slank off 

 howling to their masters. The poor bear found himself 

 in worse hands even than before ; and, roaring with pain, 

 rolled about, striking out at random in all directions with 

 his huge paws, at these new assailants : while from the 

 hunters themselves, half angry, half laughing, rose a 

 general cry of " Peccaries ! run, run !" And sticking 

 spurs into their horses, they bounded off through the cane 

 brake, only too glad to leave the peccaries and thg bear 

 *c fight it out between themselves. 



a 



