CHAPTER X.
After this, times were very hard on the plantation. But the boys'mother struggled to provide as best she could for the family andhands. She used to ride all over the county to secure the supplieswhich were necessary for their support; one of the boys usually beingher escort and riding behind her on one of the old mules that theraiders had left. In this way the boys became acquainted with theroads of the county and even with all the bridle-paths in theneighborhood of their home. Many of these were dim enough too, runningthrough stretches of pine forest, across old fields which were littlebetter than jungle, along gullies, up ditches, and through woods mileafter mile. They were generally useful only to a race, such as thenegroes, which had an instinct for direction like that shown by someanimals but the boys learned to follow them unerringly, and soonbecame as skilful in "keepin' de parf" as any night-walker on theplantation.
As the year passed the times grew harder and harder, and theexpeditions made by the boys' mother became longer and longer, andmore and more frequent.
The meat gave out, and, worst of all, they had no hogs left for nextyear. The plantation usually subsisted on bacon; but now there was nota pig left on the place--unless the old wild sow in the big woods (whohad refused to be "driven up" the fall before) still survived, whichwas doubtful; for the most diligent search was made for her withoutsuccess, and it was conceded that even she had fallen prey to thedeserters. Nothing was heard of her for months.
One day, in the autumn, the boys were out hunting in the big woods, inthe most distant and wildest part, where they sloped down toward alittle marshy branch that ran into the river a mile or two away.
It was a very dry spell and squirrels were hard to find, owing, theboys agreed, to the noise made in tramping through the dry leaves.Finally, they decided to station themselves each at the foot of ahickory and wait for the squirrels. They found two large hickory treesnot too far apart, and took their positions each on the ground, withhis back to a tree.
It was very dull, waiting, and a half-whispered colloquy was passingbetween them as to the advisability of giving it up, when a faint"cranch, cranch, cranch," sounded in the dry leaves. At first the boysthought it was a squirrel, and both of them grasped their guns. Thenthe sound came again, but this time there appeared to be, not one,but a number of animals, rustling slowly along.
"What is it?" asked Frank of Willy, whose tree was a little nearer thedirection from which the sound came.
"'Tain't anything but some cows or sheep, I believe," said Willy, in adisappointed tone. The look of interest died out of Frank's face, buthe still kept his eyes in the direction of the sound, which was nowvery distinct. The underbrush, however, was too thick for them to seeanything. At length Willy rose and pushed his way rapidly through thebushes toward the animals. There was a sudden "oof, oof," and Frankheard them rushing back down through the woods toward the marsh.
"Somebody's hogs," he muttered, in disgust.
"Frank! Frank!" called Willy, in a most excited tone.
"What?"
"It's the old spotted sow, and she's got a lot of pigs with her--greatbig 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 thedirection 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 royalgame!
"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 intheir mad flight. It led down over the hill, through the thicket, andcame 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 wildhogs had taken refuge in the impenetrable recesses of the marsh whichwas their home.
Two Little Confederates Page 10
