The ground at the foot of this tree was thickly strewn with the fallen fruit, in the midst of which lay sleeping, in every possible attitude, at least twenty hogs of all ages and sizes, apparently quite surfeited with a recent banquet.
Jack and I could scarce restrain our laughter as we gazed at these coarse, fat, ill-looking animals, while they lay groaning and snoring heavily amid the remains of their supper.
"Now, Ralph," said Jack, in a low whisper, "put a stone in your sling,--a good big one,--and let fly at that fat fellow with his back toward you.
I'll try to put an arrow into yon little pig." "Don't you think we had better put them up first ?" I whispered; "it seems cruel to kill them while asleep." "If I wanted _sport_, Ralph, I would certainly set them up; but as we only want _pork_, we'll let them lie.

Besides, we're not sure of killing them; so, fire away." Thus admonished, I slung my stone with so good aim that it went bang against the hog's flank as if against the head of a drum; but it had no other effect than that of causing the animal to start to its feet, with a frightful yell of surprise, and scamper away.

At the same instant Jack's bow twanged, and the arrow pinned the little pig to the ground by the ear.
"I've missed, after all," cried Jack, darting forward with uplifted axe, while the little pig uttered a loud squeal, tore the arrow from the ground, and ran away with it, along with the whole drove, into the bushes and disappeared, though we heard them screaming long afterwards in the distance.
"That's very provoking, now," said Jack, rubbing the point of his nose.
"Very," I replied, stroking my chin.
"Well, we must make haste and rejoin Peterkin," said Jack.

"It's getting late." And, without further remark, we threaded our way quickly through the woods towards the shore.
When we reached it, we found wood laid out, the fire lighted and beginning to kindle up, with other signs of preparation for our encampment, but Peterkin was nowhere to be found.

We wondered very much at this; but Jack suggested that he might have gone to fetch water; so he gave a shout to let him know that we had arrived, and sat down upon a rock, while I threw off my jacket and seized the axe, intending to split up one or two billets of wood.