squirrel-hunt.

They did not have much luck, however.

"Let's go by there, and pull the old pen down," said Frank, as they
started homeward from the far side of the woods.

"It's out of the way,--let the old thing rip."

"We'd better pull it down. If a hog were to be caught there, it
wouldn't do."

"I wish he would!--but there ain't any hogs going to get caught,"
growled Willy.

"He might starve to death."

This suggestion persuaded Willy, who could not bear to have anything
suffer.

So they sauntered down toward the swamp.

As they approached it, a squirrel ran up a tree, and both boys were
after it in a second. They were standing, one on each side of the
tree, gazing up, trying to get a sight of the little animal among the
gray branches, when a sound came to the ears of both of them at the
same moment.

"What's that?" both asked together.

"It's hogs, grunting."

"No, they are fighting. They are in the swamp. Let's run," said Willy.

"No; we'll scare them away. They may be near the trap," was Frank's
prudent suggestion. "Let's creep up."

"I hear young pigs squealing. Do you think they are ours?"

The squirrel was left, flattened out and trembling on top of a large
limb, and the boys stole down the hill toward the pen. The hogs were
not in sight, though they could be heard grunting and scuffling. They
crept closer. Willy crawled through a thick clump of bushes, and
sprang to his feet with a shout. "We've got 'em! We've got 'em!" he
cried, running toward the pen, followed by Frank.

Sure enough! There they were, fast in the pen, fighting and snorting
to get out, and tearing around with the bristles high on their round
backs, the old sow and seven large young hogs; while a litter of eight
little pigs, as the boys ran up, squeezed through the rails, and,
squealing, dashed away into the grass.

The hogs were almost frantic at the sight of the boys, and rushed
madly at the sides of the pen; but the boys had made it too strong to
be broken.

After gazing at their capture awhile, and piling a few more outriders
on the corners of the pen to make it more secure, the two trappers
rushed home. They dashed breathless and panting into their mother's
room, shouting, "We've got 'em!--we've got 'em!" and, seizing her,
began to dance up and down with her.

In a little while the whole plantation was aware of the capture, and
old Balla was sent out with them to look at the hogs to make sure they
did not belon