FISHING AND HUNTING. 
127 
had another eight to twelve miles’ chase 
through the slippery mud, which the 
horses and mules could not have endured, 
so exhausted were they already. We had 
seen the beasts, nevertheless, and in los¬ 
ing them had learned one of their dis¬ 
tinct peculiarities, which fact was suffi¬ 
cient compensation for our first, but 
never to be forgotten, hunt for wild 
pigs. 
The peccary, as already stated, is a 
ferocious little beast, never hesitating, 
when in numbers, to attack other animals. 
The coyote leaves them alone if numer¬ 
ous, and even the mountain lion passes 
them to look for other game. Their 
tusks are deadly weapons, and they click 
like so many hammers when the creature 
is angry. If any ambitious Nimrod wants 
a hunt after the most peculiar game extant 
