390 SPANISH-TOWX. 



lowers, evidently town born and bred. In tramping 

 home, after feeding out for the night, some of the 

 town dogs, of a good enough quality of the hound 

 and terrier breed, set upon them. Instantly the 

 country hogs turned round, and coolly taking up 

 their position in the angle of a wall, put the black 

 pig and four young ones within the corner in their 

 rear, and threw themselves before them. They 

 then commenced that peculiar short hasty grunt, 

 with which the hog kind announce danger, or pre- 

 pare for a resolute resistance. The dogs that came 

 upon them being reinforced by a troop from the 

 several yards round about, became a pack of twelve 

 or fourteen in an instant. Among these were some 

 five small curs. The three blue pigs were undaunted. 

 They stood their ground with their faces to their 

 enemies, and though the dogs beset them with a de- 

 termination to fight in earnest, they successfully kept 

 off their assailants. The curs barked and grabbed at 

 them between the legs of the larger dogs ; — the 

 larger dogs rushed at them six in a line together. 

 The young boar, with well developed tusks, stood in 

 the centre, and stepping every now and then one 

 pace forward, made his upward rips at the dogs, 

 and effectively struck them without receiving a single 

 touch himself. The assault continued some time, 

 but the pigs were not to be moved from their posi- 

 tion. The dogs received several severe cuts and 

 grips. I never saw a better managed defence. No 

 exertion or perseverance could force the pigs from 

 their vantage ground. The conflict drew the neigh- 

 bours out; and it was not until they had drawn 

 away the dogs one by one to their homes, that the 



