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Show BESIEGED BY JABALIS. During tho summer of 18S7, while escorting a party of surveyors, who wero engaged In locating tho international interna-tional boundary lino between Mexico and our own territories of Arizona nnd Now Mexico, wo made camp near somo wator holes In a wild part of tbo desert, with no htimon habitation within several hundred mllos of us. Tho country round about was rocky and desolato, broken Into coulees, abrupt mounds and painted buttcs, and diversified hero and thero by stuntod cottonwood trees, petrified limbs and branches of thick chaparral. For a number of days tho weather had been pleasant, hut at last n drizzly rain set In, which kept overyono closely confined con-fined to camp. Whllo tho molsturo was falling thick and fast a Mexican ofllccr, accompanied accompan-ied by an escort, rodo up and claimed sholtc which we wero glad enough to grant for tho sako of their company. Tho ofllccr related a startling story of havlug encountered four largo Mox-tcan Mox-tcan lions not two hours previous, which animals seemed qutto ferocious and hungry, and actually had disputed disput-ed their paseago through tbo chaparral. chapar-ral. Tho men of tho oscort had flrcd and wounded two of tho animals, but the quartet of lions flnnlly took themselves sullenly off and disappeared In tho timber. Ho also said that the country to tho south was full of black-tall' deer, nnd as for small gamo, such as lonc-carcd rabbits, sago hens nnd chaparral cocks, tney wero so numerous and tamo that they could almost bo knocked over with clubs. Rain or shine, this was an opportunity opportun-ity not to bo lost and three of our party, accompanied by one of tho Mexicans as guldo, at onco set out for the hills, where tho game was said to be. Wo rodo on through a rocky, halt mountainous country, covered wun stunted trees and sharp-pointed chaparral, chap-arral, and then, far away In tho distance, dis-tance, on tho summit of a bunch A crags, wo descried a dozen objocts outlined out-lined against tho sky, which appeared to bo mountain sheep of tho Slorra Madro variety. It was decided to stalk them. So, after picketing tho horses, wo divided nur nnrtv twn nt ,, inltii ,,n n amnll canyon to the lett.tho other two swinging swing-ing around to tho right, with a mutual agreement to keep on and finally meet nt tho baso of the crags to compnre notos, where tho sheep had first been seen. , ThoMexIcan, guide and myself were together, and wo climbed to a ridge whero, peeping over, we scanned the country for miles In every direction, but could seo no living creature Then, nAN FOR OUR LIVES from tho right, where I was not looking, look-ing, camo flva beautiful black-tails, dashing swiftly down tho mountain valley, and not two hundred rrda behind be-hind them wero a full pack of timber wolves in hot pursuit. Wo both fired at once at tho leader. Down dropped the buck, tumbling head over hoeU among the rocks, and tho others scampered away nt tho top of their speed. Tho wolves, evidently frightened fright-ened at the loud report, scattered In an opposite direction, and we never saw them afterward. Wo wero now sure of a Rood supper of venison, and as soon as the gome was dressed and quartered, each of us shouldered halt and started off down tho canyon to tho loft In search of our comrades. Never shall I forgot tho sceno that met our eyes after we had advanced about four hundred yards through the timber. Even whllo flawing nnd pro-paring pro-paring our own gamo, rapid and continuous con-tinuous fltWff" could bo heard far off to the left, but now, upon approaching approach-ing neart loud shouting and hollowing hollow-ing canPto our ears, which told that something unusual had happened or was going on. We droppod our meat and went forward for-ward nt a run, only to find our two friends snugly up a troe with only one gun between them, and surrounded by at least half a hundred Mexican jabal-Is, jabal-Is, who held them close prisoners. These pugnacious little brutes aro called pocarles In Texas, whero they aro qulto well and unfavorably known, and of all the animals on tbo Amor-lcanbtlnent, Amor-lcanbtlnent, thoy nro, considering their wze, certainly tbo wildest, most belligerent and extremely daring Uttlo rascals over created. They will unhesitatingly un-hesitatingly attack overwhelming numbers, and havo never yot learned tho meaning of tho word fear. Running Run-ning In squads or droves of a tow or a. hundred or moro they generally attack united, and seldom yield a contest con-test until tho last member of the band Is unablo to continue tho fight. But whllo the Texas specimens are small, nnd exceedingly hostile, their cousins on tho farther sldo of tho Illo Grando aro a dozen times moro dangerous, dan-gerous, for tho latter aro In size almost al-most equal to a full-grown hog, and nro armed with lancet-like tusks, double-edged nnd keeuly pointed. With these fonrful weapons, thnt cut like knives, thoy often Inflict such terrible wounds thnt one might better trust his limbs to tho tender mercies of a buzz- is.w rather tfan to tho tusks of on of H these ferocious creatures. H As soon as this drove of js.ba.lts H caught sight of us they abandoned H their prisoners, and with loud snorts H charged directly down upon us at rail- Wo took to our heels and ran for H our lives; but tho Mexican, who was H evidently used to their tactics, grasped H my hand firmly, and darting out Into H the canyon, over tho ragged rocks, H wo ran at headlong pace, until wo H reached n sort ot hutto or mound, up H the sldo ot which wo acramblod In a H manner and stylo that I novcr dream- H Here wo in turn becamo prisoners, H and at once began to pick off our as- H sallants, who bad formed In a circle H around tho mound, snorting and H grunting viciously, but apparently H without tho sense or Ingenuity of '"'I climbing up after us. H Our broadsides had laid nineteen ot them low, but somehow this did not teem in tbo least to discourage them, tor thoy still circled nround tho mound, Intent upon holding us prison- H crs until tho last one of tha drovs J should bo killed. H Wo had now about run out ot am- munition, but just then a shot rang H out from tha timber, and then In quick H succession another and another, each ono of which settled tho earthly ca- H rcor a Jaball, Our two friends, coming down from their original trco and following our - retreat, had mounted a second tree, where, at closo range; they were able H to render us valuable assistance. Each shot told, and finally wo counted thlr- ty-nlno jaballs lying dead on tho H ground at tho base of tho mound. The remaining survivors, six in number, H now gavo up tbo fight, nnd with a lost H savage, angry snort, trotted away and H were soon lost to vlow in tho thick H chaparral and stunted brush oak tint- H Wo descended, Joined forces, and H then started on the back trail. H Our comrades had lost their oppor- tunlty for a hunt, so we picked up H tho venison, which still lay where It H bad been dropped, and just about dark H resumed our march In search ot tho H ponies. The cop3o where thoy. had H been picketed wan found without much H difficulty, but here a rccond and awful H surprlso wan awaiting us. H Two ot the horses lay dead on tha H ground, and a third was so fearfully .H mangled that wo shot him out ot H mercy, Tho fourth ono was entirely H missing. It wns a plain story to be H Tend, as plainly and as clearly as from H a written or printed page. In tho soft B mifd wero Innumerable hugo tracks, H wh'lch iddlcatcd that the four Bona -H mentioned by tho Mexican ofllccr bad H bcon at work. Tho poor, tied ponies, H with poMlbly ono exception, had no H doubt been attacked and literally torn H to pieces by this quartet of fierce H brutes. In this helpless condition they had been pounced upon by tho lions, and after being killed had been partly H devoured by their tcrrlblo enemlea. B It was a dangerous position for us -fljVH to be placed In; and so not waiting to ! secure bridles or trappings, and hastily fljVH gathering an additional supply of am- JjVJ munition from the saddlo pockcts, flBV without losing any more time than wag absolutely necessary, wo onco mors HBVj set out on the back trail, and mado all speed to reach camp. JB Marching In slnglo Die with the M Mexican guldo leading and carrying a resinous torch, about midnight a de- tachment from tho camp with tho Mexican officer at their head, mot us, and from them wo learned that the missing pony, badly frightened and fearfully scratched and clawed, had cozno galloping back to tho camp three H hours before. Our friends Immediately H sot about to organize a search party, and It was with a great feeling ot re- llct that tbey at laet found us safe and H sound, for tbey bad almost given us H up as dead or lost in the wild and des- jf olate country that marks the Interna- ' tlonal boundary line J, M. T. Par. H |