A WILD HOG-HUNT IN TEXAS. 383 



off with my gun, and be gone for a period of at least 

 twenty hours. 



I sat for hours on my painful perch now looking down 

 at the spiteful creatures beneath now bending my eyes 

 across the great cornfield, in hopes of seeing some one. 

 At times the idea crossed my mind that even upon the 

 morrow I might not be missed I 



I might perish with hunger with thirst : I was suffer- 

 ing from both at the moment -or even if kept alive, I 

 might become so weak as not to be able to hold on to the 

 tree. My seat was far from being an easy one. The 

 tree was small the branch was slender. It was already 

 cutting into my thighs. I might, in my feebleness, be 



compelled to let it go, and then . These reflections 



were terrible ; and as they came across my mind I shouted 

 to the highest pitch of my voice, hoping it would be heard. 



Up to this time I had not thought of using my gun, 

 although, clinging to it instinctively I had brought it with 

 me into the tree. It now occurred to me to fire it, in 

 hopes that my friend or some one would hear the report. 



I balanced myself on the branch as well as I could, 

 and Icraded it with powder. I was about to fire it off in 

 the air, when it occurred to me that I might as well re- 

 duce the number of my enemies. I therefore rammed down 

 a ball, took aim at the forehead of one, and knocked him 

 kicking over. 



