PIG-HUNTING UP THE JORDAN.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 263, 14 December 1894, Page 2

PIG-HUNTING UP THE JORDAN.

o . | (By "Nimrod.") ; 7 . A friend kindly offered sometime ago to take nic up the Jordan and point out the varioub items of interest and beauty in the district. We set^ out in good time on Saturday morning, and arrived at the summit of the first spur in time to observe one of the most beautiful sunrises it has been my lot to witness. My companion, who was certainly by no means of a romantic turn ot mind, became so absorbed in the grandeur of the scene that he was recalled to earth only by a sense of acute pain in his left arm, occasioned by inadvertantly placing that member in the fire, which Aye had kindled Avith a vie.v to breakfast. After breakfast we preceded on our Avay, and in due course arrived at the rent through Avhich the Jordan Aoavs from the side of the hill. As Aye ascended Aye could hear the Avater rushing under our feet Avith a sound so caA'ernbus and liolloav as to lead one to believe that caves of no mean extent existed. We then struck off into the bush, but had not proceeded far Avhen Aye heard our dogs barking. My friend cried "Pigs! Avhy did I leave my gun at home ? " and Aye both immediately hurried off in the direction of the sound. On coming up with the dogs, Avhich Avere rushing to and fro in a straight line, Aye could see nothing. "Steady," said my my companion, * ' there are pigs . hot far off." Our attention Avas soon directed to a commotion that seemed to be almost under our feet, and then Aye kneAV that. the pigs Avere in a dry Avater-course the sides of which Avere too steep for the dogs to scale. Having no gun Aye began' as in the days of our. childhood, to pelt the game Avith stones. But the thick pelt of our quarry seemed an all-sufficient shield till at last a Uoav in the back from a stone about the size of a man's fist, proved too much for a fine little fellow about six months' old. The vertebral column -must have been dislocated as the animal 7 fell immediately and lay quivering on the earth Avithout a sound. We then found a convenient place for descending and secured and dressed the pig, Avhich Aye hung in a tree to aAvait our return. The dogs, baying

I meanwhile followed up the other members '. of the mob, had succeeded in bailing up an j immense boar against the trunk of a hollow tree. There he stood with his hind quarters in the hollow tree champing his tusks and hurling of the dogs as tbey attacked him. At last one of the dogs having seized him by the ear, my mate shouted " Rush in !" , Now as he was in possession 5 of our only knife I can hardly be blamed s for not obeying his command, hdweveri he . himself dexterously seized the pig by the leg and stuck him in a true workman-like style A moment later I saw him go leaping down the lull at a terrific rate, tearing his hair as he went. I had no idea what was wrong, but in a trice all was made clear by a sensation in my back, such as I * , imagine would be produced by contact \ with molten lead. Simultaneously the air \ was filled witli such a bussing and humming that I was glad to hurry off in the \ direction taken .by my friend. Oh coming up with him the first words he , uttered were * 5 My grandfather died of bees." * " What do you mean ?" said I. , "Why- he --. was stung to death." On. examination I found that my shirt had worked -u*a.,Jat~;*£he : back thus forming a bag which was fuli of bees.. The hollow tree was evidently, a hive, wliich the pig in his struggles Twith ''f'f" the dogs had contrived to disturb.; 7,We now secured the pig we. had , dressedaind 7 made all haste towards home. Onreaching --• a dense undergrowth of .lawyer 'about lfava ~ ; j S* miles on the road, the dogs beggfl,. to/lharl?;7 T again. Qn "examiiiation '. we , coijijcji*; 7fcee yy f f nothing biit a small opening in.the'l^wyer^ -c"7_ 7: just wide enough to admit a ; laige. jpig^v yf The dogs would not enter. : .*JiopiteJ#fe the^Jfyfy warnings oi my companion . I'resol ved '< -ib}fejl;^ crawl in and explore. n-I tied: our* kiiife. t^^&i the end of a stout manuka stal^^idi^e^i-s^s^ proceeding for- about five' ; y^s^ol^|cv©i^Jjt# that I Ayas in a stiecies -of . (M^-^-^^|^o|^ minatirigin a rock > AY^7.aga^tT^|abh^ai|M^ large boar had set his*7back. 771^180^^*^11^ knife u.iider his. left, shoidder , and"7^6^ed^^s; with all my might. : Eyery; 7iime7fc|lig^#%f| hie would 7{jrttnt ahd> *i}*7*segined^§m|*w^^|S would, advance lw>f iiv^n^f^ssW^ifl^^m _ thrust miorej :; vigoriiur ;thfflii pig gave Jpte)**^ •oVer rhy bpdy^ .'My7compan^ about a 1 7a^d7iJie^i*d^g^M^^^^^^^ : stbh&7oW#mJa£^ W^ftuiterd^ ■ nrog^biistfelbm