890 WILD SCENES AND WILD HUNTERS. 
too late to retreat decorously, for he had already been seen, 
and as is usual, they came charging headlong upon him, 
grunting and snapping their white tusks at every jump. 
It was useless to stop to shoot, taking to his heels was his 
only chance. He made for the fence, which he succeeded 
in climbing before they reached him. The foremost of them 
reared themselves on their hind legs, endeavoring to reach 
him, cutting at his feet with their sharp tusks most viciously. 
It was a loose worm fence, and not very high, and they kept 
him there for a few moments, dancing, to use his own 
expression, “like a hen upon a hot griddle,” while he fired 
as rapidly as he could load. He had killed several, without 
any diminution of their ferocity. It rather indeed seemed 
to be increased, if possible, when suddenly, to his unutterable 
consternation, the frail fence broke down, and he measured 
his length backward, in the cane outside. He sprang to his 
feet, as you may imagine, with some celerity, and, before 
they could reach him, over the ruins of the fence, had fairly 
vacated. After a hearty laugh at this ridiculous misadventure, 
the preparations for the bear hunt immediately commenced. 
We were soon mounted and under weigh, four of us, and 
attended by a negro “driver” on horseback, who, with his 
long cow’s-horn swung about his neck, was to “put out” 
the pack. The dogs were a fine and powerful breed, used 
exclusively for bear hunting, and came of a cross of the 
bull-dog on the fox-hound—they were all scarred with the 
tusks of the Peccary and the claws of the bear. On our 
way across the plantation my friend was particular in 
counselling me how to behave in the event of any unpleasant 
rencontre with the Peccaries—for he assured me flight was 
my only alternative, unless I desired to have my horse 
ham-strung, or every leg hopelessly gashed. I promised 
to be very prudent, of course, but with the opening yell 
of our dogs, all recollection of the existence of such creatures 
as Peccaries vanished. 
