HUNTING THE DEER AND WILD BOAR.--RESULTS OF THE CHASE.
A little while after the incident with the snake the party came to where
the servants were waiting for them with breakfast: according to the
custom of the East, the early meal taken at the house was a slight
affair, so that by the middle of the forenoon one is apt to get fairly
hungry. They sat down under a shady tree, and discussed the good things
before them with a relish that came from the walk and ride through the
open air and the excitement of the scenes of the morning. The boys were
much amused at seeing the way the natives cooked their rice in a piece
of bamboo, and served it up all fresh and hot. This is the process:
A green bamboo is cut in the forest, and one of the hollow joints is
separated from the rest of the stalk; the rice is put inside the bamboo,
with a sufficient quantity of water to cook it, and then both ends are
loosely closed. The bamboo is then laid in the fire as if to burn it; it
gets somewhat charred on the outside, but, before it reaches the point
of burning through, the rice is cooked and ready to be poured out. Thus
you can always be sure, in the region of the bamboo, of having a kettle
for cooking your rice, although you have not brought one along.
When breakfast was over the hunters were assigned to their various
stands, as the hunt was to be of the kind known as a battue. The beaters
go out and drive up the game, which is induced to run in the direction
where the marksmen are standing to receive it; the latter have nothing
to do but remain quiet, and shoot at the animals as they go past them.
There was a sufficient number of guns for the three strangers as well as
their host, and so the boys were assigned to places by themselves,
instead of standing with their elders. Quite naturally, they were proud
of the honor thus shown them, and each was hoping very earnestly, though
he did not say so aloud, to do something worthy of the occasion.
They were instructed not to fire except in certain directions, lest they
might endanger the lives of others, and they faithfully promised not to
violate the order; then, when the horn was blown in a particular way,
they were not to fire at all, as the beaters would be close upon them,
though invisible through the underbrush, and might be hurt through
carelessness.
"It is an even chance," the Doctor remarked, "whether we get a deer or a
wild boar first. The latter are the more numerous in this forest, but
the others are the best runners, and the more easily disturbed. We will
see."
[Illustration: A HOWLING MONKEY.]
So saying, he went to his post, while the boys went to theirs. For half
an hour or so there was nothing to indicate the possibility of game,
with the exception of some monkeys in a neighboring tree, that kept up a
perpetual chatter on account of the disturbance of their seclusion.
There were several varieties of these brutes, but they kept so far away
that their character could not well be made out. There was one kind,
larger than the rest, that appeared to be a champion howler, as he
occasionally set up a most unearthly noise that could have been heard
for a long distance. Frank had a good view of one, and said he was a
sort of maroon color, with a red beard, and had a swelling under his
neck, from which he brought out the music. "He seems to enjoy it," said
Frank, "and if he can be happy by making such an outrageous tumult, by
all means let him have his fun."
[Illustration: DEER IN A TROPICAL FOREST.]
By-and-by the barking of the dogs was heard in the distance; it slowly
approached, and then everybody made ready to do the best possible work
with his weapon. A crash was heard among the brushwood, and soon a fine
deer came bounding out of the wood, and ran directly toward Fred's
place.
Fred brought his gun to his shoulder, and when the deer was not more
than twenty feet away the youth fired. The aim was good, and the whole
charge passed into the shoulder of the animal just over the region of
the heart. With one bound he fell dead at the feet of the young hunter.
A moment later came the report of Frank's gun, and with a result equal
to that of Fred's shot. The two boys were about to give a loud
hurrah, when the Doctor motioned them to silence; it was his turn and
that of their host to have a chance at something.
In less than ten minutes two other deer appeared, and were brought down
by the guns of the elders of the party. Another deer ran past them, but
he was too far away for a good shot, and as they now had plenty of
venison, they allowed him to go unharmed.
The beaters soon appeared, and then the deer-hunt was declared at an
end. "We will now go," said Mr. Segovia, "to a place where there are
plenty of wild boars and fewer deer. Unless you have a most excellent
opportunity for a shot, do not trouble yourself about deer, but devote
your attentions to the wild boars, which you will find no easy brutes to
kill."
"And perhaps," the Doctor added, "you may as well let the largest of
them go undisturbed, and only shoot the young fellows; the old boars are
dangerous when wounded, and we don't want to go home with holes torn in
our skins by their tusks."
[Illustration: POND SCENE IN LUZON.]
The boys promised to obey the directions that had been given, and took
the places assigned to them. They were not far from a little pond, which
had a thick growth of tropical trees and plants all round it, and there
was so little wind blowing that the water was like a mirror, and
reflected its banks with great distinctness. Frank was so intent upon
studying the picture that he did not pay proper attention to the hunt,
and before he was aware of it a fair-sized pig had dashed by him, and
disappeared in the thick underbrush.
A moment later a shot was heard from the Doctor's gun, and then another
came ringing through the woods, followed by a shout from Fred for
assistance. Frank ran to his cousin, and found that he had wounded a
boar, but had not killed him, and while he was reloading his gun the
weapon became clogged, and the cartridge would neither go back nor
forward. The boar was dashing wildly about, and threatening danger to
the youth; the latter was endeavoring to keep a tree between himself and
the infuriated beast, and, with his disabled gun in his hand, was
somewhat awkwardly situated.
"Finish him! finish him!" said Fred, "and be quick about it!"
Frank performed the finishing touch almost as soon as Fred pronounced
the words. The boar fell dead at the shot, and gave Fred the opportunity
to devote his entire attention to putting his gun into a serviceable
condition again. In a few minutes the refractory cartridge was removed,
and then the boys surveyed their game.
"Seems to me he's a good-sized one," said Fred; "and see, he has a pair
of tusks; they are not large, but we must keep them as a trophy of our
day's hunting in Luzon."
"Yes," replied Frank, "but how shall we divide a pair of tusks? We must
shoot another like him, and then we can have a fair trophy for each of
us."
"We'll stay here together," Fred answered, "and when the next one comes
we'll both shoot him, and the honors will be equal."
Just as he spoke there was another crash in the bushes, and a boar, that
might have been a brother of the dead one, made his appearance. Frank
was first to fire, and Fred immediately followed with a shot. Between
them they killed the animal, and in such a way that neither could claim
all the glory of the slaughter. As Fred had predicted, the honor was
divided, and they were partners in possession of the game.
Other shots soon followed from the Doctor and their host; and then there
was a long interval, with not a sound to break the stillness. Then the
beaters made their appearance; the horn was blown to announce the end of
the hunt, and the party assembled for the return homeward. Everybody was
in fine spirits, as the chase had been successful, not only for the
party collectively, but for each individual. The attendants went to
collect the game, and, when it was all brought together, there was a
goodly amount of it. Four deer and seven wild hogs comprised the result
of the day's shooting, without counting the snake; Frank thought the
latter should be included, and remarked that snake-shooting was fairly
entitled to be ranked as hunting, when the snake was a large one.
[Illustration: A PAVAVA.]
The transportation of the game was something to be considered. Mr.
Segovia solved the problem by suggesting that he had sent to an Indian
village, a mile or so away, for a pavava. This and the pack-horses would
be sufficient; but he had told the attendant to bring a couple of
pavavas if he could get them.
One of the boys very naturally inquired what a pavava was, as he had
never heard the word before.
"We shall meet it on our way to the boat," was the reply. "It is a sort
of sled or cart made by the Indians, and used for purposes of
transportation, and it is drawn by a single buffalo. There are a couple
of runners which curve so that their rear ends only rest on the ground,
while the front of the vehicle is supported by the shafts. The frame and
body of the pavava are of bamboo, and so are the shafts; the collar of
the buffalo is of heavier wood, and the roof of the concern is of
pandanus-leaves, over a frame of light bamboo. It is so light that a man
can easily lift it, and it will hold as heavy a load as one buffalo can
draw."
Having acquired this information, the boys next wished to know something
about the wild boar, and especially about those they had killed--whether
they were to be considered first, second, or third class. On this
subject the Doctor enlightened them.
"The ones you have killed," said he, "are probably about two years old,
and therefore are not first class. The boar does not attain his full
size and strength till he is four years old; the proper classification
is like this: first year, pig of the saunder, or briefly 'pig;' second
year, hog of the second, or 'hog;' third year, hog-steer; and fourth
year, and afterward, wild boar, or sanglier. You have killed a pair of
'hogs,' and very good ones they are. They probably weigh about two
hundred pounds each, and when we get to Jala-jala we will put them on
the Fairbanks scales we saw there yesterday, and see how far out I am in
my guessing."
Frank wished to know if these animals were natives of the Philippine
Islands, or had been brought there from some other country.
"The hog was originally unknown in a natural condition in America,
Australia, and the Pacific islands," replied Doctor Bronson, "and his
presence there is due to the early navigators, who turned pigs loose in
the forests, and allowed them to shift for themselves. The Spaniards did
so in the Philippines three hundred years ago, and it is to them that we
owe the great number in the forests of Luzon. Those you have killed are
descended from the original importations of the Spaniards, just as the
wild hogs in the forests of South America, and on the many islands of
the Pacific, are descended from those left by Captain Cook and other
explorers."
Fred asked how large these animals became when left to themselves for
years in the forest.
"That depends on circumstances," the Doctor answered. "Some of them have
been known to weigh four hundred pounds, and occasionally you hear of
one that tips the scale at five hundred. I saw one in India that weighed
four hundred and fifty-six pounds, and had tusks about ten inches long.
The peculiarity of the wild boar is his powerful tusks; they have an
awkward appearance, but he can do terrible execution with them, ripping
up the flank of a horse as though the horn of a bull had passed through
it, and tearing a dog or man to pieces in a few moments. As I told you,
when we started in on the hunt, it is well to be cautious about
attacking a full-grown boar, on account of the danger from his tusks."
[Illustration: SKULL OF BABIRUSA.]
"In some of the islands of the Malay Archipelago," he continued, "there
is a species of wild hog called the _babirusa_, that does not seem to
belong to the hog family as we know it. Its legs are longer, and its
body is more slender than in the rest of the swine species; it does not
root in the ground, but lives on the fruit which falls from the trees.
The tusks of the lower jaw are very long and sharp, but the upper ones,
instead of growing downward in the usual way, are curved upward and
backward to near the eyes, and sometimes they attain a length of eight
or ten inches. These tusks do not seem to be of any use, except to
protect the eyes from the thorns of the trees and bushes where the
animal lives. The babirusa is quite as fierce as the ordinary wild boar,
and is more fond of the water. He will take to a pond or river when
pursued, and is said to swim with great ease."
"The chase of the wild boar has been a recognized sport in all ages; we
read of it in ancient histories as well as in modern ones, and in
certain periods of the world it was more fashionable than any other form
of hunting. During the Middle Ages it was highly popular in England and
on the Continent, but in our day the wild boar has disappeared from
England entirely, and is only found in a few parts of Europe. The best
localities for hunting him in Europe are in Greece and Italy, but if you
want the sport in all its glory you must go to India. One of the great
amusements of the British officers in India is "pig-sticking," as it is
called, and those who have indulged in it say that the excitement of a
pig-chase equals anything they have ever seen."
The conversation was here interrupted by meeting the pavava that had
been sent for to bring home the game from the forest. Mr. Segovia gave
some directions concerning the work in hand, and then the party rode
rapidly to the boat that lay waiting for them. There was a light breeze
blowing in the right direction, and so a quick passage was made back to
Jala-jala. There was enough to talk about for the evening, and neither
of the boys could keep his thoughts away from the fact that he had shot
a deer and a boar on the same day, and assisted in the slaughter of a
boa-constrictor. It was glory enough for twenty-four hours at least,
Frank said, as he went to bed; Fred thought it could be spread over
three or four days without becoming too thin, and even a month would not
be too much.
"A deer, a hog, and a share in a snake," murmured Fred, as he settled
his head on his pillow.
"A wild hog, a deer, and a share in a snake-fight," whispered Frank to
himself, as he dropped off to sleep. "Wonder what Miss Effie and Mary
will say to that? I declare I haven't written home since we left Java;
but then there hasn't been time, and besides we've had no chance to send
letters. I must ask the Doctor in the morning when there is a mail for
America, and how it goes."
A moment later he was in the land of dreams.
The question relative to the postal facilities of the Philippines was
duly propounded in the morning, and received the following answer:
"There is a steamer once a fortnight each way between Manilla and
Hong-Kong; the distance is 650 miles, and the voyage usually occupies
about three days. It is nearly the same distance to Singapore; in the
busy season there is a semi-monthly steamer to Singapore, but it is not
generally maintained through the whole year. For letters to America the
quickest route is _via_ Hong-Kong, whence there is a mail twice a month
to Yokohama and San Francisco. The last mail for Hong-Kong left Manilla
a day before your arrival, and so you have plenty of time to get your
letters ready for the next.
"At the time of year when the crops have been harvested, and the product
is going forward to the European market, there are many irregular
steamers from Manilla to Singapore, and also to Hong-Kong. There are
also sailing-ships bound for European and American ports, though not as
many as from one of the great ports of China or Japan. We shall have no
difficulty in getting away from the islands, as we had no difficulty in
getting here; though we may possibly be compelled to wait a few days
after we are ready to start."
At this moment a servant came to call our friends to breakfast, and the
conversation came to an end. During breakfast it was announced that an
excursion would be made on the lake that day, and would start in half an
hour.
[Illustration: FRANK'S PRIZE--A BUTTERFLY.]
At the appointed time the boys were at the boat, and with the rest of
the party. Just before they embarked, Frank saw a handsome butterfly on
a stalk near by, and managed to capture it. The Doctor pronounced it a
fine specimen, and it was immediately stowed away in the box kept for
prizes of this sort.
"First game for the day," said Frank. "Now, who will have the next?"
Fred made no response, but eyed the water intently, as he saw something
moving in it close to the shore. Seizing a hand-net that lay on the
ground, he made a sudden swoop in the water, and brought up a prize.
[Illustration: FRED'S PRIZE--THE MUD-LAFF.]
"Second game for me!" he shouted, as he deposited on the ground a
strange-looking fish, with a mouth opening directly upward instead of
being placed where the respectable fish is accustomed to have his
mouth. Below the head there was a spongy and shapeless mass, with the
ventral fins attached, and the whole length of the fish was covered with
a glutinous substance that stuck to the grass and weeds, where he had
been dropped. Along the back was a row of spines, that rose and fell
alternately, as though they were trying to pierce something. Both the
boys pronounced the fish the ugliest product of the water they had ever
looked upon, and the Doctor said the American sculpin was a model of
beauty compared to this monster.
"His scientific name," said Doctor Bronson, "is _Synanceia brachia_, and
he is popularly known as the mud-laff. He abounds in tropical waters,
and in most Asiatic countries he is eaten by the natives; but the
Europeans will have nothing to do with him. He lies in the mud and weeds
at the bottom of rivers, and is quite concealed from view. You observe
he has sharp eyes, which peer up through the water and watch for his
prey; when it comes in his reach he sucks it in with a single
inhalation, and this is why his mouth is so oddly placed. The spines on
his back are poisonous, and if you should be pricked with them you would
have a painful wound that might last you for weeks. Mr. Pike, in his
'Sub-Tropical Rambles,' tells of a man in the Mauritius who was stung on
the sole of his foot by a mud-laff; the foot and leg swelled enormously,
and after some days the wound sloughed, leaving a large hole. It was
more than two months before the man was able to leave the hospital."