s fastened to the trees of a thin _cerrado_ that
covered the sloping ground of the borders of the swamps, and haversacks,
_ponchos_, and other _impedimenta_ suspended to the branches, we
advanced to the attack.

I confess to a feeling of trepidation and a certain bumping of the heart
as we were about to leave the borders of the convenient trees so easy
and apparently purposely constructed for a human retreat from the
peccaries, but at that moment a troop of some dozen of them emerged from
the jungle of the swamp out into the open marshy land, and disappeared
into the adjoining tall grass.

Three of the sons of Jose, with Antonio, Bob, and Jose Grosso, started
at a run to cut off their retreat, and soon disappeared amidst the tall
grass a little lower down the hill. After a few moments of suspense, we
heard reports of guns, and shouts to us to look out; at the same time
another troop of peccaries appeared on the open marshes, and followed
the tracks of the others. The grass became agitated by the movements of
the animals, and they soon afterwards entered the more open ground of
the _cerrado_ where we were waiting, pursued by the five men; we all
fired, but as the range was long, there was not much execution. The
animals, about forty in number, now suddenly halted and faced their
pursuers with vicious little stampings of feet and snapping of teeth,
and suddenly charged down upon the men and upon ourselves. Never was
such gymnastic agility displayed as in the way that each of us rushed
for, and scurried up, the nearest trees, many dropping their guns or
knives in their hurry.

Jose and his sons were the coolest, especially the old man, who, perhaps
a little too stiff for climbing, calmly placed his back against a tree,
clasped it with his left hand, and leaning forward in a semi-stooping
posture, with his long _facao_ at the ready, awaited the furious charge.

How gallantly they come sweeping along with their muzzles well down, but
within a few feet of our trees they suddenly halt, and, snapping their
tusks, make short plunging charges. I had found a comfortable perch up a
short gnarled tree, and taking careful aim at the peccaries near me, I
knocked over three of them in five shots from my revolver.

They were charging Jose's legs at close quarters, but his long, keen,
sharp pointed knife flashes quickly as he rapidly delivers cuts and
thrusts with telling effect. The other men, safely ensconced in the
trees, have ma