Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-12-29
KEOyy A MAN Runs DOWN A DEER.
The Apache Penalty for Missing the
Game al First Fire.
From the New York SIM

They prohibit hunting deer with hounds
see. IN the hunting regions of the cast" said
! Wagner ketchum, of astoria, who has re-
turned home after twenty years absence in
the far west. Il suppose that is because the
persistence of dogs in following the game to
the death tends to the more rapid depicting of
our woods. But suppose pack of Apache In
dams should be turned loose in any of your
hunting fields. A dozen OF them would hound
| more deer to destruction in enc month than all
the dogs in the state could in five years
Nv hen an Apache hunter goes out for hunt
he dispenses with even the scant attire he as
sumes in his ordinary daily walk of life He
needs no dog. for his quick eye detects the trail
| of deer as readily as the hounds does no mat
| ter how keen its scent. On the trail he follows
/ it as silently as shadow. for he knows that he
VIII soon come in sight of the game. either feed
| ing or lying at rest among the bushes. When he
sights the deer lie steals to within safe gun
/ shot. If the deeT's head is turned away from
the hunter the latter. first taking aim. shufiies
his foot on the ground. If the deer is lying
down 1t springs to its teet at the sound and heels
around facing the direction from which the
! sound came. If it is standing 1t turns around
! quickly The Apache hunter is always DESTROYS
OF killing deer by shooting it as nearly in the
center OF the forehead as he can. So when the
| deer turns towards him he fires at that Spot His
aim is rarely at fault, but sometimes the deer is
! quicker TO discover the cause of its alarm than
the hunter is to fire. and turns for safety in
flight. An Apache's gun. also. not intreuuently
| misses fire. and the deer fees on the wings of
! the wind. To permit deer to escape after if is
! once discovered is something that no Arache
! hunter is expected to do and it is ara;nst their
| code to fire the second time. The hunter, falling
| 10 XIII his game ar the first attempt must run it
| down, and 1T is very rare that he fails In this
c:!ase AS the deer starts away in its flight. leap
twenty to thirty feet at time the Indian
! drops his gun, and. with hideous yes. starts in
pursuit. The deer at first leaves the hunter far
behind. putting forth its greatest efforts to
! that end. But its tfa; is as plain to the Indian
as turnpike road is to q white man and no
follows 1t. As is its nature. as soon as the deer
! Is out OF sight and sound Of threatening danger
1t stops and waits for Developments The sight
OF the pursuing hunter starts it on its way amain
Every halt OF this kind tells against the deer for
IL Is not OF sufficient length to give it any henc
NEAL rest, ana at every start it is sitter and
less active. The Indian never liats There are
runners among the ApacIies who can run for
tWenty-four hours without a stop. and can
make their five miles every hour of
the time. After the deer has RIM for two or
three hours it's thirst prompts it to make for
the nearest water. This tie relentless hunter
Knows to be inevitable and when the deer
, reaches that stage of the chase the Indian con-
slders the victory won. There is no hope for
the deer after it stops to drink for it takes into
ITS rarched stomach all it can. Having laden
itself with this weight of water the deer is una
bic to take long leaps. and cannot extend its
run between halts more than halfthe former dis
lance. The Indians tongue may hang swollen
and white from his mouth and his mouth he az
dry as aust, and his stomach burning uD with
heat. but he never stops t. drink He SCOOPS q
handful OF water from the stream as he dashes
across it, and carries it to his mouth where he
holds it a moment and elects it without taking
a swallow. III he is obliged to SWIM he lets the
water run in his mouth but keeps it from his
stomach.
After running an hour or so, after the deer
has quenched its thirst. tie Indian knows if is
time to ind some evidence Of the animals weak
enlrtg. These he is sure to find along the trail
in the shape of blood spots on some rock where
the deer has tumbled or its knees or & patch Of
halr cinging TO some sharp protection showing
that the deerS strength has failed SO that il can
not turn quickly out OF the way Of obstacles
NO" the Indian increases his speed. He knows
that the deer's race is run. In time he over
takes the deer, which is n)w looping feebly along
yell SfaItlCS it into q mOmentary burst OF
speed. Then. as If approaching the fact that if
were useless to prolong the race. it stops
and turns with all the defiance its py-
| haustcd nature can assume and awaits the
approach of the hunter. Sometimes however
the deer runs until it drops dead or dying in
| its tracks If it turns upon the Indian. the
latter Keeps right on Ht full speed. He knows
the deer can do him no harm, its inclination to
the contrary notwithstanding. He seiZes it
boldly, throws it to the ground with ease and
cuts its throat. Without q moments DELAY.
whether the deer is dead or diving. the Indian
cuts from behind the tore shoulder largo picoe.
of H'"". 10 Cnokc tina r--afrn blood from it and
deVours the morse keeping constantly on the
move. If the carcass OF the deer is not too
heavy. he throws it across his shoulders and
starts immediately for hone. He does not rest
moment for fear Of becoming too stiif to make
the return trip. Ifthc deer is too heavy for him
to carry. he cuts out the choicest parts hides
the remainder in Il secure place and brings in
the former In this case another member of
the tribe is selected to take his back track ON
HE arrival of the hunter il camp and bring in
the vcnsOn left behind.
IF deer is young an Apache hunter will run
it down within distance of sixty miles. but
they have been known to prolong a chase for
100 miles. The course taken is always deyjous
and circultous, and may end within mile or so
OF the starting place"