ction of
his enemy.

"These demonstrations brought the whole drove of peccaries to the spot,
and in a moment a circle of them had formed around the reptile, that did
not know which to strike at, but kept launching out its head recklessly
in all directions. The peccaries stood with their backs highly arched
and their feet drawn up together, like so many angry cats, threatening
and uttering shrill grunts. Then one of them, I think the first that
had appeared, rose suddenly into the air, and with his four hoofs held
close together, came pounce down upon the coiled body of the snake.
Another followed in a similar manner, and another, and another, until I
could see the long carcase of the reptile unfolded, and writhing over
the ground.

"After a short while it lay still, crushed beneath their feet. The
whole squad then seized it in their teeth, and tearing it to pieces,
devoured it almost instantaneously.

"From the moment the peccaries had appeared in sight, I had given up all
thoughts about the turkeys. I had resolved to send my leaden messenger
in quite a different direction. Turkeys I could have at almost any
time; but it was not every day that peccaries appeared. So I `slewed'
myself round upon the log, raised my rifle cautiously, `marked' the
biggest `boar' I could see in the drove, and fired.

"I heard the boar squeak (so did all of them), and saw him fall over,
either killed or badly wounded. But I had little time to tell which,
for the smoke had hardly cleared out of my eyes, when I perceived the
whole gang of peccaries, instead of running away, as I had expected,
coming full tilt towards me.

"In a moment I was surrounded by a dark mass of angry creatures, leaping
wildly at my legs, uttering shrill grunts, and making their teeth crack
like castanets.

"I ran for the highest part of the log, but this proved no security.
The peccaries leaped upon it, and followed. I struck with the butt of
my clubbed gun, and knocked them off; but again they surrounded me,
leaping upward and snapping at my legs, until hardly a shred remained of
my trousers.

"I saw that I was in extreme peril, and put forth all my energies. I
swept my gun wildly around me; but where one of the fierce brutes was
knocked over, another leaped into his place, as determined as he. Still
I had no help for it, and I shouted at the top of my voice, all the
while battling with desperation.

"I still kept upon the highest point of the log,