THE PECCARY. 403 



If the boys could only liear my firing, and come over, liow 

 quick we would wipe them out. 



Such thoughts ran through my head; but still the pigs 

 stayed. One o'clock came, then two; still they stayed. 

 Tlien I thought I would lire a signal with my revolver— may 

 be the boys were hunting for me; so I made a noise, and 

 back to the tree they came. I killed three of them in about 

 a second; then I waited. Three o'clock came, then four, and 

 no signs, of the boys. Some of the pigs would feed while 

 others stood guard; then they would change off. I was so 

 tired I could scarcely stay in the tree; so I took my belt off 

 and buckled myself fast to the trunk, so that I would not 

 fall out. 



Seven o'clock! I could see no change; they still camped 

 near me, showing no signs of weakening. Then the sun 

 went behind the mountain; darkness came on, and I was 

 thirsty, hungry, and tired; but, worse than all, I was a pris- 

 oner. Twelve o'clock! The moon shone brightly, and I 

 could see my sentinels scattered around. Two o'clock! 

 Then came a signal from some of the outside ones; the rest 

 snuffed the air, then away they all went. I could hear them 

 far below, going down the mountain. 



I then commenced to wonder what had started them all 

 at once. Was it a Grizzly or a Silver Lion? If either, I 

 was still in danger. I listened a few minutes, but could 

 hear nothing, see nothing; so I unloosed the belt and got 

 doAvn, more dead than alive — so stiff and cramped that I 

 could scarcely walk. I went first to where I left my turkey 

 and coat. The turkey had been eaten, and my coat had 

 been thoroughly chewed. I found a few cartridges scat- 

 tered around, and jjutting them in my rifle, I started for 

 camx), where I arrived just at day -break. Two of the boys 

 were out on horseback, hunting for me. I was so tired I 

 could not stand, and after eating a little and having two 

 cups of strong coffee, I went to sleep. When I awoke, at 

 twelve o'clock, the boys had come in. They said after I 

 left them they had gone back and trailed the Grizzly six 

 miles into a deep canon, but failed to get sight of him. I 



