one.

"What?"

"It's the old spotted sow, and she's got a lot of pigs with her--great
big shoats, nearly grown!"

Frank sprang up and ran through the bushes.

"At least six of 'em!"

"Let's follow 'em!"

"All right."

The boys, stooping their heads, struck out through the bushes in the
direction from which the yet retreating animals could still be heard.

"Let's shoot 'em."

"All right."

On they kept as hard as they could. What great news it was! What royal
game!

"It's like hunting wild boars, isn't it?" shouted Willy, joyfully.

They followed the track left by the animals in the leaves kicked up in
their mad flight. It led down over the hill, through the thicket, and
came to an end at the marsh which marked the beginning of the swamp.
Beyond that it could not be traced; but it was evident that the wild
hogs had taken refuge in the impenetrable recesses of the marsh which
was their home.

CHAPTER XI.

After circling the edge of the swamp for some time the boys, as it was
now growing late, turned toward home. They were full of their valuable
discovery, and laid all sorts of plans for the capture of the hogs.
They would not tell even their mother, as they wished to surprise her.
They were, of course, familiar with all the modes of trapping game, as
described in the story books, and they discussed them all. The easiest
way to get the hogs was to shoot them, and this would be the most
"fun"; but it would never do, for the meat would spoil. When they
reached home they hunted up Uncle Balla and told him about their
discovery. He was very much inclined to laugh at them. The hogs they
had seen were nothing, he told them, but some of the neighbors' hogs
which had wandered into the woods.

When the boys went to bed they talked it over once more, and
determined that next day they would thoroughly explore the woods and
the swamp also, as far as they could.

The following afternoon, therefore, they set out, and made immediately
for that part of the woods where they had seen and heard the hogs the
day before. One of them carried a gun and the other a long
jumping-pole. After finding the trail they followed it straight down
to the swamp.

Rolling their trousers up above their knees, they waded boldly in,
selecting an opening between the bushes which looked like a hog-path.
They proceeded slowly, for the briers were so thick in many places
that they could hardly make any progress at all when they near