AFTER WILD PIGS: BEING THE ADVENTURES OF TWO BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2210, 9 July 1896, Page 51

AFTER WILD PIGS : BEING THE ADVENTURES OF TWO BOYS.

By Murray Aston, ■ ' . Chapter VI. It did not take long for the colonel and our heroes to become acquainted with Jem's friend, Jack Mason. . " This Is my boss, Jack, and the two young gents," said Jem. "Come In, sir. It ain't much of a place I can ask yer into, but you're very welcome to euch as there is, that's certain," exclaimed Mason, who was a fine, stalwart man, and looked every inch an Englishman— tall, active, without an ounce of superfluous flesh, and capable of feats of great endurance. His hut was a rough structure, and contained a couple of bunks and the same number of boxes, which served the purpose of chairs. There was also a rough attempt at a table. "The billy's just on the bile, Jem," Baid Jack-after a look to that highly-prized article, of camp furniture, which was swinging merrily over a manuka fire burning' brightly in a fireplace having a sod chimney. " I don'b think we'll say no to a cup of tea,-" remarked the colonel. " And," he continued, "we have brought something with us in the way of eatables." While the "tea was in course of preparation Jem came to the object of their visit by declaring that, " We've come ta stop the night with yer, Jack. . I told the young gents you could lay us on ter some wild cattle. Yer can, can't yer?" " I can do that, Jem. Yer couldn't have come at, a batter time. -A groat yallerbull has been giving'us no end of trouble. He's been breaking down our feucas and trying to lead off some of our tame cattle into the bush. I caught sight of him a matter of three or four miles from here yeßterday, and I meant havin' a whack at him in the znornin'," Harry and Frank exchanged looks expressive of delight, and their father smiled his approval. " I've never had any cattle-hunting in this country," but I suppose It's much the same all tho world over. Do they move about in mobs] " generally inquired the colonel. " Generally seven or eight go together, sir ; sometimes one bull among them, sometimes mere. They usually feed early in the morning," said Jack. ' " I told you so, didn't I? " remarked Jem. 11 You did," replied the boys, who wore drirtkicg in every word with breathless interest-. 11 Then," continued their new' friend, " yer must be careful nofc to let 'em wind yer." " Yes, I've always found that cattle have the sense of smell more highly developed than even those of sight and hearing," put in the colonel. "That's so, mister," went on the man, II Once they"gits a sniff of yer and it's goodbye to 'em for that dar, at all events." " Wall, I suppose," a&ked Harry, " when you are after the wild cattle, if you cap, you should approach them against- the direction from which the wind is blowing ? " " That is so, and the quieter you go the better chance you .have of a shot," acquiesced Jack. Tea was now made, and the provisions which Jam unpacked made Jack anxious to set to, since he, poor fellow,' had to be content with very rough fare for at least 11 months out of every year. Needless to say, the whole party made a hearty meal, and then it transpired that Jack's supply of tobacco bad given out, and he "was just craving for a smoke." Ho had tried smoking ti-lri, but as he quaintly observed, he "didn't seam to get no forrarder with it," and Jem having handed him a stick of the best Juno, a pipeful of that fragrant weed was soon' giving forth clouds of smoke at the instance of their now contented host. _ M We'll have to turn out early," he presently/jobserved. "If yer don't mind turning into, my buok, sir, the young gents can try#to sleep in the other. Jem and I can make shift on-th"e floor." , - And so it was arranged, and scarcely had the boys laid their heads on the pillow than they were miles away in the " land of Nod." .The colonel, however, passed two or three very pleasant hours in chatting with the men, and it was arranged that be should take a loan of Jack's muzzle-loader, which was a good, serviceable weapon and carried a bullet, our party not being provided with a rifle, their guns being all breechloaders, whiob, as most boys know, are fired with cartridges usually loaded with shot only. The night passed uneventfully except that once in the early morning the dogs set up a barking, which, however, they soon left off, and at 5 o'olook— which was some two hours before sunrise— the party were astir, and having' discussed a good breakfast, made their way by the light of a most obliging moot", accompanied by the dogs, to a spot which Jtck said was not more than three miles distant from bis hut. The wind, too, as luck would have it, was blowing full in their faces, and they expected to reach a favourite feeding ground of the cattle just about sunrise. The dogs behaved well, inasmuch as -they followed noiselessly at heel, and the 'day may be said to have opened in the most propitious manner. Jack insisted on their progress being as ■llent as possible, and all were most careful to proceed without saying a word; and as they rapidly neared the place where- it was thought they might como across the object 6f their search, their precautions were increased, and moving in single file, the procesilon was so silent in ttie dim light as to be positively uncanny. Presently, just as flay was dawning, Maeon halted arid held up bis hand for the others to follow his example. " Get your guns ready," he whispered. " I Can hear 'em, I'm sure 1 " (To it oouclnM nwt mk.)