888 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
can perceive the protruded snout and sharp watchful eyes of 
the sentinel Peccary on duty, while his fellows behind him 
sleep. Noiselessly the unerring rifle is raised, the ring of 
its explosion is heard, and witha convulsive spring the 
sentinel leaps forward out of the hole, and rolls in its death 
struggle on the ground. Scarcely an instant is passed, a 
low grunt is heard, and another pair of eyes is seen shining 
steadily in the place the others had just held. Not a sound 
is heard, the planter loads again with such dexterity that 
not even a branch of the embowering cane is stirred. Again, 
with steady nerve, the piece is fired, out springs the second 
victim, as the first had done; then another takes its place, 
and so on to the third, fourth, fifth, or twentieth, even to 
the last of the herd; unless he should happen, by some 
carelessness, to make a stir in the cane around him, when 
out it springs, with a short grunt, without waiting to be shot 
this time, and followed by the whole herd, when they make 
a dash straight at the unlucky sportsman, who is now glad 
enough to take to his heels, and blesses his stars if he should 
be able to climb a tree or a fence, in time to save his legs. 
If, during the firing, the sentinel should happen to sink in 
the hole without making the usual spring, the one behind 
him roots out the body to take its place. They do not 
understand what the danger is, or whence it comes. Neither 
do they fear it, but face its mysterious power dauntless to 
the last. They never charge towards unseen enemies, until 
guided either by the sight of some disturbance caused by a 
motion in the thicket, or by those sounds, with which they 
are familiar, indicating their position. Incredible as this 
account may appear, it is actually the method in which the 
settlements along Caney Creek and on the Brazos Bottoms 
have been, of late years, in a great measure relieved of this 
dangerous annoyance. When one is taken in a snare or 
trap, it is torn to pieces by the others in their eagerness to 
