The Nature Fakir.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 91

The Nature Fakir.

— Knthusiastic Listeners are Spelltxmnd at Tale.— "Were \ou ever chased by a wild boar?" a«ked the man in tho mackintosh, during v luJl m the oonxersation. '"No ; nor you either," eaid' the man with the bayo\ -kneed trousers. "It takes a lot of presence of mind to emerge fiom the incident with a \ihoio, >km. I can toll you." "Accompanied 1 by an entire absence of body," ventured the man who had put a. pair of large feet on tho table. ■'That lcmark is neither new nor original. I «eem to ha\o hoaid it 50 or more times before. I remember when I was hunting in south-westoru Arkansas jn the fall ol '89 " "Going to tell it, anyhow, are you?" interrupted the man with the bulbous nose. "I am. You can drop in a state of coma if you don't want to hear it. 1 had tramped for half a day in the woods without seeing anything worth shooting, when I heard a. loud crash m tho underbrush not a dozen yards away. Before I could pJace myself an a suitable posture for defence "

"Xo fence handy, I presume," murmured the man behind the green goggles. "The chapnaral parted — I think they call it ehapparal out there, but maybe it's jung-lc — and an enormous wild boar came rushing at me. lam not ashamed to say, gentlemen that I flung my rifle away "

"Flung- is tho right word. Go ahead." . "I turned and ran for my life. But the beast gained on me. I saw it was of no use. .Stepping quickly aside, just as the infuriated animal was about to lance me with on-o of his murderous tusks "

'"Tusks is correct. Much better than 'tushes,' " interjected the man who was smoking the cheap cigar. "Proceed."

"I leapt on the maddened creature's back, grasped its ears with my hands and held on w ith tho energy o£ desperation. I have had many a lough ride, gentlemen, but I want to tell jou that if ever you ride bareback

on a w ild boar you'll remember the expoiicnoe at- long a- you Inc. Even then, ln>\\<>\er. 1 did not lost m\ presence of mind The savage brute tried to throw mo. of course, but I wupped my legs around ln< bod\ , tightened 1 my gra^p on his ears, and 1 -stuck 1 . Snorting horiiblj. the boar darted ahead at frightful speed. We .tore through the forest a distance of perhaps half a mile. I was becoming exhausted. Suddenly we passed under the piojecting limb of a tree. Loosing my hold on tho iloniouaic beast, I grasped the ljmb, drew nn.scif up. and in a moment was out of danger. But not an instant too soon. Scarcolv had I succeeded in climbing into the tiec when the boar turned and came ba*-k. Finding me Lbyond his reach,

"Swore dreadfully. Don't repeat his language." "In mad fury he charged the tree it6elf, gashing it with those terrible tusks hi his impotent rage. leaning back against the trunk of the tree six feet above him, I sat aaid watched him until I had recovered my breath."

"And then? Go on with the blood curdling details. Don't spare us." "Then, drawing my re\olver, I took deliberate aim and' fired."

'Kill him?"

"I didn't try to kill him. 1 shot off one of his tusks slick and clean. With a, second shot I took off his other tusk. With a a third shot I clipped his tail off, close up. Then his proud spir.it broke. He turned to flee. Jumping down from the tree, I made after him. I chased that wild l\oar, gentlemen, giving him kick after kick, until I was tired, after which I lot him go. Then I went and found my gun again and resumed my hunting for larger game as if nothing had happened."

Nothing was said for several minutee. Then the man with the white spot, in his moustache casually observed that he could tolerate a plain, ordinary liar, but he hated a Nature fakir — whereupon he yawned wearily and moved an adjournment. — t'hicago Tribune.