Survival Information Presents : Survival In A New Mexican Forest - Between A Bear and A Pig Place

We can learn a great deal from the pioneers. This story takes place well before the turn of the 20th century. The narrator would have packed in and out with horses and mules with not much more than beans, flour, coffee, tobacco, and enough shells for his guns to hunt his meat.

Lately, we have been regaled with tales of monster hogs. In reality, they aren't so fierce, really. You can't get within a mile of them, if they so much as smell you. Much more devilish foes are the wild peccary of the southern most climes. When packed up the will attack anything that walks, flies, or crawls, and their maws are vicious. Any time you run across a herd of wily and vicious peccary, you are most definitely in survival mode...

By James Elverson

Ed Note: This tale of survival is credited to James Elverson, the late owner of the Philadelphia Enquirer.  This tale, most possibly penned by he or someone else in 1907, Elverson went to the big newspaper in the sky in 1911. It seems obvious that he may or may not have been the literal writer. Whichever, he owned the story. True or not, it's a dandy example of man against nature at its deadliest...and man conquering that which is set to destroy him. As far as I can determine, this thrilling story has not been seen broadly since it was first printed in 1907. It was evidently syndicated far and wide at that time.

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The survival information incidents to be related occurred some years ago, when I was prospecting for gold along the western boundary of New Mexico, near the head-waters of the Eio Puerco...

We had met with wretched luck, and getting discouraged, had decided to break camp and cross over into Arizona, to the Mollgoon Mountains, whence reports had reached us of very valuable discoveries; but, as our supply of provisions had become well nigh exhausted, we concluded to lay in a small stock of meat before starting, so that we should not be delayed on our journey which would carry us through a rather barren and desolate region; where water was scarce and game not to be looked for.

Two parties accordingly left camp, a little before noon, in quest of game, the smaller one being composed of a trapper known by the sobriquet of "Canadian Sam," an old army scout named Lige Henstock, and myself, then a young man of twenty-six.

A range of wooded hills which we had often observed, but had never visited, lying well to the northeast, was the destination of our party, and by following the stream upon which our camp had been located we reached the edge of the timber in a couple of hours where it was Sam's opinion we should be very likely to find considerable game.

At this point we decided to separate, the Canadian to follow the hills to the right Lige Henstock to go to the left, while I, being the least experienced of the three, was to follow the course of the stream, as I would thus be less likely to lose my way. We furthermore agreed to meet about sun down at the point where the stream emerged from the great forest, and to return to camp together.

So we parted, the others going their ways and I pushing ahead into the wood, keeping near the creek, which splashed and brawled and foamed over its narrow and rocky bed. Aside from the noise of the waters, perfect silence reigned in every direction, and, except myself, there seemed to be no living creature astir.

All this did not look promising for game but I walked briskly ahead until I was certain I had traveled at least two miles, when I discovered some curious footprints in the soil near the creek, which resembled the track of a cow, only the mark of the hoof was much smaller.

While I was examining the impressions and speculating upon what sort or an animal could have made them, a gentle rustling of bushes to the left attracted my attention and aroused my interest. I looked carefully in that quarter, but could not discover anything. Sam had kindly informed us before separating that we need not be surprised to find bears, mountain lions, wild hogs and a great variety of beasts prowling in the woods or in the hills beyond, and so, recalling his speech. I concluded it would be prudent on my part to keep quiet until the creature should make itself known; and, with this purpose in view, I slipped noiselessly behind a big tree and peered cautiously around its trunk.

Suddenly, with a loud grunt, a wild hog, or peccary, that would weigh at least a hundred pounds, burst out of the bushes and disappeared into the undergrowth beyond. It all happened so quickly that I had no time to fire at the animal; but this did not worry me, for I felt confident I could soon overtake him. . .

Looking to see that my gun was in good order, I at once took the trail and followed, until, after a while, the ground became so hard that no trace was visible, and I halted, at a loss what to do.

The forest seemed to be more open at this point, and the ground rose gently into a range of low hills not far ahead. On either side of the trail I had been pursuing, the bushes were rather dense, but of low growth so that I could easily see over them.

Again, I heard a noise and saw the tips of the bushes violently agitated, as if some beast was moving quite briskly in a line that diagonally crossed the path I was pursuing. I supposed, of course that it was the peccary and was getting my gun ready to give him a shot the instant he should cross the path, when, not six rods ahead, two brown bears emerged from the undergrowth and made their way hastily up the moderate as cent, looking back frequently, as if they were being pursued.

My curiosity was so much excited by this queer conduct on the part of the bears that I forgot to fire a shot till they had passed out of easy range.

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I was certain they had not seen me, for they had not looked in my direction at all and I wondered greatly what had put them into such a fright. The bears by this time had halted and were sniffing the air suspiciously, and it occurred to me that by going down through a swale, well sheltered by bushes, I should be able to net close enough to them to get a good shot without fear of discovery. So I crept cautiously into the low spot, and soon reached the point whence I was sure I should net a view of the game, when, to my surprise, the bears had disappeared.

Quite provoked, I now started to enter the clearing at the foot of the ridge, determined to get a shot at all hazards, when I heard a low growling noise that I presently perceived came from the top of a flat boulder which jutted out from the ledge, with which it was connected by a narrow strip of rock that formed a sort of bridge.

On top of this rock, which was nearly fifteen feet high, sat the larger of the two bears, squatted on his haunches, and whining in a most piteous manner, as if suffering from intense fear. The second bear was not to be seen.

As the rock was two hundred yards distant, I concluded to get much nearer before I should fire, and was only fairly in motion when there was a tremendous crashing of branches, accompanied by wild grunts and piercing cries, and the next instant, out of the adjacent bushes, following the trail of the bears, there burst forth a drove of more than two-score peccaries.

The creatures, all bristling with excitement, made at once straight for the rock whereon the bear had taken refuge, thus accounting for the terror which Bruin had shown, and I never witnessed such a sight before or since as followed.

In less than three minutes the whole drove of peccaries was swarming about the base of the rock, leaping madly against its steep sides, filling the air with a series of peculiar cries and snorts, as they ineffectually strove to scale the boulder and so get at the huge bear.

These reckless dashes, however, did not continue long, for presently some of the assailants, haying discovered the narrow ledge that connected the rock with the ridge, made a rush in that direction, and would soon have effected a crossing had not the bear, with the cunning of a. veteran, met the enemy in time to defend the dangerous point.

A small peccary with an enormous tusk led the advance, with bristles erect and uttering shrill aborts, a half-dozen others following in single file, the approach being too narrow to admit of two abreast.

Bruin awaited the assault, sitting on his haunches, with his paws outstretched, and the instant the peccary came within reach, he gave him a sharp, sudden blow that tumbled the pig off the bridge into the little chasm below.

Two others met a similar fate, when the fourth animal, a big fellow, succeeded in encumbering the bear's movements to such an extent that although he had to succumb as did his predecessors, yet in the interval two peccaries managed to get footing on the rock, when they rushed furiously upon the bear.

In a moment I saw Bruin close in with his adversaries, and, hugging them both in a savage grip, down went all three, rolling wildly about, until, approaching the edge, of the rock, the living mass went tumbling down into the very midst of the frenzied drove below. For a minute, it was a perfect bedlam.

The peccaries fell upon the bear with the utmost fury. Bruin defended himself bravely tearing several of his fierce enemies to pieces with I his ponderous claws and knocking the life out of more than one. But the contest was unequal one, the peccaries being so numerous and active that at last Bruin succumbed, and then the victors almost quarreling among themselves in their greed to feed, upon the. remains of their victim, fell vigorously to work to devour the great carcass, which they did in an incredibly short time.

Having satisfied their vengeance and literally annihilated the, bear, the pigs started to move across the clearing, when it occurred to me that if I intended to carry away any game of my own killing I must be up and going, as the entire herd would soon be out of sight. So, on the spur of the moment. I leveled my rifle, and firing, brought to the ground a fine young peccary from the midst of the drove.

The shot had scarcely been fired, when I discovered that I had done a most foolish act, for the death of their fellow threw the drove into a most furious paroxysm of rage, and uttering their peculiar snort of anger, they rushed upon me in a bristling mass, quite as savagely as they had attacked the bear a little while before.

Flight alone was left me, and the way I dashed off toward a large tree on the edge of the clearing would have done credit to a race horse; and I had just time to swing my feet clear of the ground when the horde swept about the roots, of the tree, snapping and snorting and leaping frantically into the air to get at me. It was a close shave, and I had to drop my gun to get into the tree at all.

Presently, apparently grasping the situation and recognizing that 1 was beyond their reach for the moment, the peccaries quieted down, and lay about the roots of the tree, exactly as if they proposed to remain until I should conclude to descend. It is needless to say that I did not relish the situation.

An hour passed, followed by a second and third: the sun Bank into the western sky, and finally the shadows of night hung over the great trees of the forest, but cot a peccary showed the smallest symptom of impatience or any disposition to depart.

I was literally treed, and at their mercy. It was now too late to expect help from my companions, and as it was plain that the night must be spent in my aerial refuge, I adjusted myself as comfortably as possible in the branches, and found very unsatisfactory occupation in listening to the grunts of the enemy below and speculating on what the morrow would be likely to bring to pass.

At last, toward morning, the idea occurred to me that if I could conceal myself in the tree so that, when daylight came, the animals could not see me, they might conclude I had escaped during the night, and there upon raise the siege and retire.

I had not a doubt but that the creatures would remain as long as I was visible, and, unless I could outwit them, the prospect was gloomy enough for, an early escape, or, for that matter, for any at all.

Putting the idea into action, I crept noiselessly toward the top, and was delighted to find a decayed spot of some size, in a crotch, where a dead limb branched off from the big trunk. Into this I endeavored to squeeze myself, hoping that between the limb and the cavity I might escape the prying eyes of the peccaries the morning.

I had not been settled more than five minutes when I was much disturbed by hearing a scratching, rasping sort of noise, at intervals, which seemed to come from the extreme end of the large dead limb.

I could not account for the sounds, and my imagination had full play till the streaks of coming dawn revealed to my startled eyes the cause of it all, by showing me a brown bear, doubtless the companion of the one whose tragic end I had witnessed the. night before, squatted on the dead, limb, about fifteen feet from me. We had evidently sought safety in the same tree from a common foe.

The moment the bear saw me he began to snarl and show his teeth which was not pleasant, considering that I. was totally unarmed and practically defenseless; but he soon relieved me of all fear by beginning to back away, going further out upon the branch, as if to avoid my presence.

Daylight was now fairly come, and I was congratulating myself upon the happy thought of concealment, and wondering whether the animals I below would clear out when they failed to see me up in the tree, for I was well hidden in the hollow place, aided by the big branch, when a fresh thought filled me with dismay.

What about the bear? There he was in full view from below, and of course the peccaries,seeing him would never think more of me, but I would continue to wait for their common enemy, and thus bring to naught my own efforts to escape.

The very thought made me so desperate, that if I had possessed my gun, I should then have opened fire on the shaggy rascal perched on the limb before me.

Possibly Bruin read desperation in my eyes, for he growled again and went on backing further out upon the great dead limb, when all at once there was the sound of a heavy fall.

The branch, unable to stand the increasing strain as the animal backed further toward the end, broke short off, and down went limb and bear headlong to the ground beneath.

I heard a chorus of snorts and cries, and peering cautiously downward, beheld a repetition of yesterday's scene at the rock; for the peccaries were hotly engaged with the bear, which in turn, though somewhat dazed by his fall, was defending himself as best he could.

It was the old story and in ten minutes scarce a remnant of the poor bear remained. Instantly I crouched down out of sight and listened intently to every sound from below but in a few minutes silence reigned in every quarter.

Waiting a good half-hour, I descended fearlessly, for not a peccary was to be seen. They had either forgotten me, or , had been satisfied with their triumph over this second enemy.

I picked up my rifle and started briskly for the creek, and in due time reached camp where all agreed upon hearing my story, that all-things, considered, made a most fortunate escape from a great peril.

Survival information is a good thing to have in your day pack when you challenge the gruesome peccary.