Leaving the horses 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 José, with Antonio, Bob, and José 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.
José 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 facão 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 José’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 made good shots, but before any of us can reload the peccaries scamper away. All of us quickly descend from our perches and rush after the retreating animals, loading our guns as we run, but our brave foes suddenly halt and face us with a look of defiance, and again make a gallant charge. How ignominious we appeared as we in our turn beat a hurried retreat to the nearest trees, where, not having time or finding conveniences for a climb, we were forced to imitate José’s example and face the enemy with knives; but the peccaries, after a momentary pause, dashed onward and disappeared amidst the tall grass of the borders of the swamps, crossed the marshes, and entered the jungle of the buritys.
Although the whole thing happened within a few moments, there were quite enough elements of danger to spice the sport, for, if in making our retreat any of us had stumbled and fallen, the consequences must have been serious, if not fatal. I prefer the pig sticking on mule-back with our extemporized spears. We gave the coup de grâce to the wounded, but many got away only partially damaged. We found our bag amounted to ten pigs, all in excellent condition.
As José and his sons were anxious for another tussle, we proceeded up the valley, and soon saw here and there a solitary grunter outside the growth of palms and aquatic vegetation of the swamps; and frequent grunts, heard amidst the groves, indicated the presence of considerable numbers of our foes.
A little farther on, a spit of firm land, only covered with short grass, extended to near the groves, but no one cared to venture so far from the friendly sanctuary of the trees and possibly meet a huge anaconda coiled up in the swamp.
José Grosso and one of our host’s sons now returned to remain with the animals, whilst we proceeded a little farther on in quest of a stray peccary. We walked about a mile, but found not what we hoped for; but on returning some peccaries were seen straying towards the hills in twos or threes, homeward-bound to their lairs in the dells and grottos of the sources of streams at the foot of the bluffs of the Chapadas. We worked our way amidst the trees, and eventually obtained a few long shots, and succeeded in bagging two more.