Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1883-05-17
KANGAROO HUNT:

gdrOO OU6tUC, convened DN some nelgn
boring squatters. 1t was on the largest
scale ever attempted in Australia, with
a corresponding result The local paper
some days previously contained the fol
lowing advertisement:
"Roll up! Roll up! Roll up. Neigh.
bors, Friends and Strangers Horse
men and fOotmen, with guns or with
out, to meet at the - Homestead, on
the Odd of October. for kangaroo
Drive. A welcome for everybody.
Bring pair of blankets, if You've got
any. If YOU haven't, well find YOU
some. Plenty of tucker guns and am
muntion. Roll up, Boys! Roll up"'
Such an invitation in New South
Wales ndsrcadv acceptance. and fortwo
days before the one appointed horse
men by twos and threes might be seen
vending their way through the bush to
S, the lessee of which run was
famed, far and wide, as a thorough
going sportsman and a liberal employer.
Our contingent went all together, and
an animated scene the home paddock
presented when we arrived at our
destination. A similar sight is not to
be seen every day in the Australian bush.
More than three hundred horscmen,
armed with every conceivable variety OF
gun, from the forty-vear-old shooting
IRON OF Hollis TO the last thing of Green
er's; and mounted on every conceivable
variety of animal. from an almost I'M
broken colt to a Suffolk punch Besides,
there was small army on foot TO act
as heaters. 1t was Il glorious day. but.
OF course, after twenty-mie ride we
felt like a little refrcshment. and there
was no lack of it. Huge rounds of beef,
cheeSes like dray wheels, and great
buckets of tea, hot, strong, and sweet,
disappeared like magic amid much
laughter. fun and chatting.
Next morning, up with the first cry of
the laughing jackass, just before day
break, Il wash in the creek, breakfast.
and swig of Martell's palest, and the
fun commences. Stations are allotted
to all the parties by cur leader along
both sides ofthc gullv-thc whole length
of it. Old hands at the game generally
lie down, because, in the excitement.
bullets and swan shot may flv rather
too close to bepleasant. looked sharp
out OF my ris-0-ris, and discovered one
OF the rankest of ''new chums' it has
been my fortune to come across. One
of those gilded youths who are sent ont
here, now and again. with lots of money
and no brains. Heaven alone knows
what they come here for, unless it is to
he made a laughing-stock of through the
colonies. They haven't single idea,
except themselves. and their speech is
E,,,ifal a., 81, 1,
There, opposite me, stood this particu-
lar specimen admirably got up for the
Bush. Velvet knickerbockers, nothing
less, ankle-jacks that, could see from
where | stood, where pinching him hor-
rlbly as he rested himself first on one
foot then on the other, like a ''native
companion. gazing meanwhile intently
up into the trees from under the scanty
shade of little stiff black billycock.
Seeing that this gentleman was hand
ling brand-new revolving rifle, | Law
down fiat behind a toIerably thick
stump. The heaters could now be
heard at work, the cracks of their whips
and wild yells and shouts making the
Bush ring again.
Soon half dozen ''Hying does came
hopping down the gully. thud, thud.
thud on the hard ground; but they new
er reached so far as our position, but
fell victims to Il dozen shots from the
other sidc-the rule in these eases be-
ing Gas it is well known the marsupials
on entering gully will attempt to
make tor the scrub, on one side or the
Other) Tor the shooters only on the side
they make for, TO fire. This lessons
risks of accidents. which, however, fire.
quently occur Thicker and faster now
rolled the Ewing tide of kangaroos.
wallarooS, wallabies. and all their rela-
tons, large and small, encompassed
between two walls of sportsmen, rain
ing ball and shot. OF course it was a
massacre; but it was badly wanted.
Remember, each kangaroo is said to
consume the grass of five sheep day.
We had not expected such drive as this.
Tor the wide gully was literally choked
from side TO side with the jumping.
swaying masses.
The blue velvet knickerbockers could
see dlmly, now and again, through the
clouds of smoke: and continuous
crack. crack. from that quarter. accom-
panied by the whiz of bullets past nv
head. warned me not to stand up vet
The heavy rush was over, and the firing
slackened considerably. but the new
chum continued to blaze away as fast as
he could put his cartridges in and dis
charge his piece. He had by this time
got from the scrub nearly out into the
middle of the gully. and there he stood
firing, but seldom hitting anything:
people all round singing out and
swearing at him-to no purpose. He
evidently meant to pot biped of some
sort, if not Kangaroo. One of the
latter, very big .'old man." at this |
moment entered the gully, and, run
ming the gauntlet of few struggling
shots-for guns were by this time get
ting hot and ammunition scarceShe |
made straight for our friend in the |
knickerbockers, who valiantly stood his
ground, and discharged four shots
nearly point blank at the seven-footer.
only one grazing his cheek or Jaw. The |
sting of the bullet made the ..old man.
SO savage that the next moment he had
Blue Brooches, breach-loader and all. in
loving embrace, and was busily en-
gagged in doing his best to disembowel
the unfortunate Mr.. with his long.
sharp hind claws. To do the chap JUS
Ice, must say he behaved we'll: and.
though horribly scared and pinioned as
he was, he kicked and struggled with
all his might; and, as some one after
wards remarked: Never so much as
let yell out of him." OFF came the
velveteens and billycock; the former
strewing the ground with long strips,
and the latter entangled in the "old
cans" long claw, TO which, perhaps.