I at once decided that some animal was coming toward me, whether to attack me or not, I could not tell. But I quickly decided that the most sensible thing for me to do would be to seek safety. Naturally I thought of the bush, and ran toward it. The moment I started to run the "woof, woof!" followed me, and I increased my speed as fast as I could, hampered as I was by the thick grass. The terrible, guttural sound gained upon me as I plunged on, but at last I reached the bush, and, seeing a large tree with branches near the ground, just ahead of me, I dropped my gun and bag of provisions, and grasped the lower limb. Quickly I climbed up to what I considered to be a safe distance, and then looked down to see what sort of a beast my pursuer would prove to be.
I had but a second or two to wait, for soon, not one but three shot out of the grass and rushed to the foot of the tree. I could not mistake them. They were pigs, wild pigs.
They looked up at me with little, cruel looking eyes, and one, the largest, which had probably led the chase, snapped his jaws, showing long, white tusks, ran around the tree and continued the "woof, woof!" throwing up his head and, as he apparently grew more angry because I was above his reach, flecks of foam were flung from the ugly jaws. This one was, without a doubt, the boar. The other two were smaller, and seemed to be taking matters more coolly.
They were villainous-looking beasts, gaunt, with long legs and sharp, pointed heads; and their color was a sort of rusty-red. Feeling perfectly safe, the question which naturally first occurred to me was, "how long shall I be besieged in this position?" There seemed to be but one course to follow, at present, and that to await developments. The pigs had not appeared to notice my paraphernalia.
After a while the boar grew calmer, and finally all three lay down near the foot of the tree. I made myself as comfortable as possible, and looked down at them.
The day dragged along monotonously, while I was able to change my position so frequently that I was not cramped; but I began to get very hungry, having eaten nothing since early in the morning. The pigs continued to remain on guard, the boar now and then getting up and regarding me contemplatively, until the sun sank behind the forest. Then the pigs moved away into the grass. It was soon dark, and the moon, which was near its full, came up over the mountains; but I was not long able to distinguish the movements of the pigs in the uncertain moonlight.
Patiently I waited, until the moon was directly over the clearing. There was no sound of the pigs, and, after a little, I slid to the ground and, cautiously gathering up my gun and provision bag, moved noiselessly away into the bush. The moonlight favored me, and I hurried on for several miles, when I was brought to a halt by a small stream. Feeling safe from the pigs, I decided to camp here until daylight. I did not dare make a fire, so, after satisfying hunger with a portion of a pigeon which I had roasted before setting out, and an orange, I sat down by a large tree and, leaning against the trunk, was soon asleep.
CHAPTER XII.
Return to the Coast; A Mangrove Swamp; Fever.
When I awoke it was morning, and the sun was fully an hour up. Taking a hasty bath in the cool water of the stream, and after a hurried meal, crossing the stream on the stones that were not submerged, I set off along the east bank. The stream flowed in a northerly direction. By keeping close to the edge of the forest I made rapid progress. Nothing occurred to distract my attention, except the sight of a small flock of pigeons, one of which I killed. I encamped for the night in the edge of a thicket, and made a fire to roast the bird which I plucked while waiting for a bed of coals.