then, for the first time, the boys became really alarmed.

As hour after hour passed, and the hogs showed no disposition to depart,
Hal began to despond, declaring that no help would reach them before they
should starve. Ned, however, kept up heart, until the infuriated
creatures began to devour the dead body of their comrade.

The smell of the blood and taste of the flesh maddened them to such a
degree that they began a warfare among themselves, furiously striking at
and cutting one another with their long, sharp tusks, killing and
trampling under their feet the weaker, and then greedily devouring the
dead; all the while filling the air with their sharp, shrill cries.

The boys, who had, up to this time, been hoping that assistance would
come from some source, were about giving up in despair, when they
witnessed the slaughter made by our revolvers and knew that succor had at
last arrived.

As soon as they were able to walk, we guided them to the spot where we
had left our mules, and placed them in the saddles, directing them to
camp; Jerry and myself resolving to walk.

Shouldering our rifles, we started towards the bank of the river,
believing it to be a shorter route than the way we had come. Although it
was fast growing dark, we had no fear but that by this route we should
reach camp quite as soon as the boys.

While passing through a grove of pecan trees, about a couple of miles
from camp, my attention was suddenly arrested by the cry of some person,
apparantly in distress.