e and dead leaves, or retreat to their holes.

It is not true that the hog cats the body of the snake he has killed,
leaving the head untouched, and thus avoiding the poisoned fangs. He
devours the whole of the creature, head and all. The venom of the
snake, like the "curari" poison of the South-American Indians, is only
effective when coming in contact with the blood. Taken internally its
effects are innoxious--indeed there are those who believe it to be
beneficial, and the curari is often swallowed as a medicine.

Most of this information about the half-wild hogs of the backwoods was
given by our Kentucky comrade, who himself was the proprietor of many
hundreds of them. An annual hog-hunt was part of the routine of his
life. It was undertaken not merely for the sport of the thing--though
that was by no means to be despised--and the season of the hog-hunting
is looked forward to with pleasant anticipation by the domestics of the
plantation, as well as a few select friends or neighbours who are
invited to participate in it.

When the time arrives, the proprietor, with his pack of hounds, and
accompanied by a party mounted and armed with rifles, enters the large
tract of woodland--perhaps miles in extent, and in many places covered
with cane-brakes, and almost impenetrable thickets of undergrowth. To
such places the hogs fly for shelter, but the dogs can penetrate
wherever hogs can go; and of course the latter are soon driven out, and
forced into the more open ground, where the mounted men are waiting to
receive them with a volley of bullets. Sometimes a keen pursuit
follows, and the dogs in full cry are carried across the country, over
huge logs, and through thickets and ravines, followed by the horsemen--
just as if an old fox was the game pursued.

A large waggon with drivers and attendants follows the chase, and in
this the killed are deposited, to be "hauled" home when the hunt is
over.

This, however, often continues for several days, until all, or at least
all the larger hogs, are collected and brought home, and then the sport
terminates. The produce of the hunt sometimes amounts to hundreds--
according to the wealth of the proprietor. Of course a scene of
slaughtering and bacon-curing follows. A part of the bacon furnishes
the "smoke-house" for home consumption during the winter; while the
larger part finds its way to the great pork-market of Cincinnati.

The Kentuckian related to us a curious inc