and humiliatingly resembled the
battle on the cambric square under the big sweeting. The wary advance
after the recoil from the first encounter; the circling about at close
quarters, each watching for his antagonist's weak point, the sudden
clutch, embrace, and wrestle, which I, with umpiric instinct,
interrupted, once and again, to prolong the combat,--none of these were
wanting from either exhibition.

At length, I left the combatants to follow the bent of native savagery,
and then came such warm and inartistic work as patrons of the human ring
would decry as barbarous and out-of-date. They bit venomously, below
the belt, they grabbed at and hung on to any part of the body that came
handy; they rolled over and over, intertwined so closely as to appear
like one convulsed, centipedal monster. Finally, one half of the
creature gave a violent kick and was still. As the victor shook himself
free of the carcass we saw the head he had bitten from the other's neck
roll from under the survivor. Withdrawing an inch or two from the
remains, he sat up on his hind quarters, and "folded his stout anterior
legs" sanctimoniously in a battle-prayer. His devotions ended, he
proceeded to lick his wound and readjust himself generally.

"I'm sorry I didn't separate them," said Cousin Molly Belle, shaking her
handkerchief with coy finger-tips. "I don't think I care to see such
another fight. It gives me the creeps."

"I think it is very inter_es_ting," replied I. "'Tisn't as if they had
souls, you see. They just die and don't go anywhere."

A disagreeable noise joined Bud's cooing and babbling, and made us turn
quickly. Right before us, and within six feet of the helpless baby, who
had sat up to regard the phenomenon with innocent wonder, was an
enormous sow with a brood of hungry young ones at her heels. Her vicious
grunt, her gloating eyes, her dripping jaws, and projecting tusks,
bespoke her dangerous. Only yesterday I had seen her, prowling in the
barn-yard, seize and devour, one after another, three downy ducklings
before the stable-boys could beat her off. In the terror of this moment,
the scene flashed back to me, and I seemed to hear again the crunching
of those slavering jaws.

Cousin Molly Belle swooped down upon Bud, and had him upon her shoulder
before I could join my piping cry to her shout that rang out like a
silver trumpet. The huge beast halted, made as though she would turn,
then gave an angry, squealing grunt, and