102 



CENTRAL AMERICA. 



cigar, and sat watching the brutes and won- 

 dering when they would get tired of watching 

 me. But hour after hour elapsed, and as 

 there seemed no chance of the pigs losing pa- 

 tience, of course I began to lose mine : they 

 never stirred except one or two would now 

 and then go and take a look at his dead com- 

 rade, and return grunting, as if he had fresh- 

 ened up his thirst for revenge. All at once 

 it occurred to me, that though I could not 

 spare any lead, but must keep it for emergen- 

 cies, yet as powder and caps were in abun- 

 dance, it would be a good plan to fire off 

 powder alone every few minutes, and follow 

 each shot by a loud shout, which is a general 

 signal for assistance ; and, as one barrel was 

 still loaded with shot, I picked out a most 

 outrageously-vicious old boar, who was just 

 returning from a visit to his fallen friend, 

 grunting and looking up at me in the tree, 

 and gave him the whole charge, at about 

 twenty yards off, in the middle of his face. 

 This succeeded beyond my expectation, for 

 he turned round and galloped away as hard 

 as he could, making the most horrible noise ; 

 and though the remainder, when they heard 

 the shot, charged up to the foot of the tree, 

 yet the outcry of the old boar drew them all 



