98 Next to the Ground 



near as he can whether it was eaten at night 

 or morning. It may rake a dozen baitings to 

 decide the point — but once it is decided, the 

 game is in his own hands. He goes before- 

 hand, climbs a tree, and waits, gun in hand. 

 A good shot may knock over two or three 

 hogs before they get out of range. And he 

 has only to keep up the baiting and lying in 

 wait to bag the whole drove. 



That is wild-hog hunting for profit. It is 

 much better sport to track them in light 

 snow, and run them down with dogs. Un- 

 less .the hunters are well mounted, and the 

 woods open, they have their trouble for their 

 pains. Wild hogs swiftly approximate the 

 razor-back or wind-splitter type — lean, long- 

 nosed, long-legged, tremendously muscled. 

 Even when fattest they creep or slip through 

 incredibly small spaces, and can double like 

 rabbits. Besides, they know every nook and 

 corner and saving hollow of the woods, and 

 are wily enough to lie snug, and let the chase 

 go by almost over their heads. Running over 

 snow they leave but a faint scent, and one 

 that the dogs fail to pick up after an hour or 

 so of running. They can so far outrun 

 most dogs, they can well afford to stop and 

 catch breath whenever they find themselves 

 tiring. When they come to the end of en- 

 durance, they turn at bay. 



